


Say The Word

by AlyxRae



Series: just say the word [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adorable friendships all around, Allura is a bro, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Anxiety, Everyone is a bro, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Keith is an anxious mess, Lance is a hopless romantic, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Mistakes, Misunderstandings, Music, Mutual Pining, Shiro is a bro, So much fluff its like waifting through a cotton candy field, also i ship pidge and sass, and bro sendak, bandAU!, basic white girl Nyma, cute disney date, didn't mean for that to happen, i thought it was funny, idk man, jk i totally did, modelAU!, shaullra is just really cute okay?, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 106,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8814946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyxRae/pseuds/AlyxRae
Summary: Lance is in a band that has finally broke through into the mainstream. Now that he's kind of famous, maybe he'll finally be able to meet his crush, the amazing super model who's good looks send his heart into an arrhythmia. When they finally get to meet, his world is shattered in more ways then one.(UPDATE: I have now made this a series! Idk how  many parts it'll have so stay tuned lol)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off some [wonderful art](http://yaboybokuto.tumblr.com/post/151886131223/an-au-where-voltron-is-a-famous-rock-band-keith) by yaboybokuto I found a long time ago. The idea kinda haunted me for a few weeks i finally came up with a story. I hope you all enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Check out this amazing [art](https://hendrik-art.tumblr.com/post/162462083911/hell-yeah-that-is-kind-of-fanart-for-a-fic-ive) of model Keith!!! I'm still dying lol

“Dude, will you stop drooling over the ad? People are staring.” Pidge pushed past Lance, barely able to move the tall man-child.

“He… he’s just so beautiful…” Lance unconsciously reached out to the giant hanging poster. “I had no idea he had a new photos coming out!”

“Really? I thought you’d be the first one.” Pidge pushed up their glasses and smirked. “You’ve been stalking Keith Kogane since he was lurking in the back of music videos when we were in high school.”

“First off, that was only four years ago, and second: I’m not a stalker! I’m just a fan. He’s a world famous model, Pidge. He’s bound to have a fan or two.”

“Yeah, whatever stalker. Let’s go inside. I think those girls over there recognized you and I’m cold.”

Lance whined a few more times, looking up at the ad campaign. It was for glasses, and dear god did Keith Kogane look good with glasses. The big colorful frames emphasized his gorgeous eyes and thick dark lashes. Were his eyes blue? Were they grey? Hell, sometimes they even looked purple. Lance had spent hours scrolling through the boys Instagram trying to figure the color. Not that he was complaining.

And then there was his smile.

Lance had memorized every smile Keith had ever shown the camera. There were the shy ones, the commercial ones, the smirks, the ones the photographers caught in the middle of a laugh. Each time Keith smiled was a blessing, and the photographer was a freaking saint. Keith smiles sent shivers down his spine, made his breath hitch in his throat, and made his stomach lurch like he was on a rollercoaster.

Now, if only he could meet him.

There was a chance. A slim chance, but still a better one than most. The band Lance was a part of was really taking off in the past year, getting more and more popular by the second. Still, Lance didn’t feel like he was a celebrity. Not like Beyoncé or Lady Gaga or Keith Kogane. No, he was just on the verge of stardom. The band Voltron was just starting to become a house hold name. The gigs they used to perform in the back of some shitty bar were being replaced with sold out stadium shows. And this was only the beginning.

“O.M. GEEE! You- you’re Lance McClain!” A group of girls leaped in front of Lance, interrupting his pinning over the poster. “And you! You’re Pidge Holt!”

They all screamed. Lance was impressed they didn’t break the glass behind them. Pidge elbowed Lance in the ribs, “This is all your fault!” The whispered in a rush. They never really liked getting recognized out in the street like this, but Lance adored it. He instantly turned on the charm.

“Ladies.” He threw on his biggest, most confident grin. They one he used on stage that made the girls (and some guys) go wild. “How’s it going? Wanna picture?”

The girls screeched again, pulling out their phones. Lance and Pidge stood for a few photos. One of the girls begged Lance for a selfie. He happily obliged, holding the phone out with one of his long arms and hugging the girl with the other. She practically melted against him.

“Thank you so much! You guys totally rock.” The ring leader of the trio gushed.

“Aw thanks. I knew I rocked individually, but it’s good to know we rock as a whole.” Lance grinned.

“Isn’t that a line from Scott Pilgrim?” Pidge snorted.

“Ignore them ladies,” Lance buried them in a headlock. “Thanks for keeping my ego nice and big! Oh and don’t forget, our new album drops in December.” Pidge squirmed against Lance’s side, a whole manner of curse words muffled by his jacket.

“We already preordered it on iTunes.”

“That’s what I like to hear! Well, see you later.” He winked, watching as all three of them imploded. Lance finally let go of Pidge, turning towards the store entrance.

Pidge shoved him as he reached for the door. “You’re a jerk.”

“And you’re short.”

Lance smirked at his friends’ mumbled curse words. Once inside the nice warm department store, Lance made a beeline to the left. More ads with Keith’s beautiful face were plastered behind a counter with sunglasses on display. There was a shot of Keith wearing a leather jacket with nothing but his bare chest underneath. He was running his hands through his gorgeous pitch black hair and balancing sunglasses on the tip on his nose.

Suddenly, Lance felt the need for a new pair of shades.

“If he was selling toilet paper you would buy it.” Pidge trailed behind, always ready to toss and insult at their dorky friend.

“Damn strait. He’d make anything look hot.”

“You, my friend, are obsessed.”

Lance shrugged and asked the girl at the counter for whatever Keith was wearing in the poster behind her. She stared at the two of them a little longer than usual, trying to figure out why she recognized them. It was a fun game Lance liked to play when stuff like this happened. He would count the seconds to see how long it would for a confused person to make the connection. 

One, two, three-

_Woop, there it is._

Her cheeks suddenly flushed as her eyes grew wild. The girl hands were shaking as she held out the glasses. He tried them on making faces in the little mirror on the counter. “Whatddya think, Pidge?”

“I think you’re a dork.”

“I’m gonna get them.” He reached for his wallet.

“That’s a big surprise, oh- Shiro’s calling.” They swiped their phone to answer. “What’s up…? Oh reeallly? Ooo that sounds like fun…”

“What sounds like fun?” Lance knew that tone. It was Pidge’s ‘I know something you don’t know’ tone. It drove him up the wall when Pidge did this. They always liked to hold shit like this over him. Dangling it just out of reach. Lance hated not knowing something. “What is it?” he repeated.

“-yeah that’s Lance. Shiro says hi.” Pidge began to walk away.

“Hi- wait what was the first thing?”

“Pay for your sunglasses.”

“Pidge!” he whined. Lance handed the blushing girl his card. She fumbled with it for a second, dropping it on the ground. Lance bounced on his heels as Pidge walking further away, disappearing in the crowd. He snatched up his card and receipt, saying a quick thanks before racing after his friend.

Pidge still had the phone up to their ear, midway through a sentence. “- we all know who Lance is going to pick. He’s probably going to pass out when you- HEY GET OFF!”

Lance hopped on their short frame, reaching for the phone. The two made a scene on the department store floor, yelling and screaming at each other. Pidge flailed, somehow managing to avoid his long arms. They pushed Lance’s face away with their hand, “Get off!”

“Tell me what Shiro said!”   

“Get off my back!”

“Get your hand out of my face!”

All their scrambling caused Pidge to hit the speaker button on their phone. “I don’t know what’s going on, but would you two knock it off!”

They both froze at Shiro’s voice. As the oldest, he was the unofficial leader of the band. And also the one who kept all of them in line. Lance snatched the phone out of their hands and turned off speaker.

“Hellooo Shiro! Btw, it was totally Pidges fault.”

“You jumped on me! And who’s says ‘btw’ in real life!?”

Lance shushed them by putting a finger over their mouth. “ANYWAYS, what’s up? What’s the big news?”

There was a long sigh, “Well I was just telling Pidge about our new music video. Coran and I were thinking about featuring some LGBTQ+ models or actors in it…”

_Models_?

“We have a few names were looking at, but Coran wanted to ask you guys if you had anyone you wanted to work with…”

_Anyone?_ Oh there was someone. And since he had a history appearing in music videos, there was a very high chance that he might be on board.

“So do you have anyone in mind? Lance? You still there?”

“Keith Kogane.” The name fell from his lips, making them tingle like he’d just eaten something spicy.

“What was that? You were mumbling.”

“You said I could pick anyone right?” Lance had wondered back to the sunglass counter, staring up at the ad. “I want Keith Kogane.”

“I thought you might say that.” There was laughter somewhere in the background. It sounded like Hunk. “I’ll see what I can do, but don’t get your hopes up.”

It was way too late for that warning. Lance was already imagining their first meeting. He was already planning his outfit, what he was going to say, what his Tweet was going to be about meeting the amazing Keith Kogane. And if everything goes to plan, they would become friends. And not just Facebook friends, but actual irl friends. And then they’d become more than just friends…

Lance handed the phone back to Pidge, lost in his day dream. He began walking towards the exit. The purpose of this shopping trip completely forgotten. The sunglasses he’d just bought slide down to his nose, but he didn’t notice at all. Lance couldn’t believe it. He actually had a shot.

“Thinking about how you’re going to propose?” Lance jumped, screeching in surprise.

“Dude! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he went to whack Pidge’s arm but missed entirely.

“I wasn’t sneaking; you were too busy daydreaming to notice me. So, Shiro told you the big news, eh?”

“Just imagine Pidge, in a few weeks, I’m going to be in the same room as Keith Kogane. Breathing the same air… I need a haircut.”

“Didn’t you just get one last week?”

“I need another. And- and a facial! My skin is so dry and scaly, I’m practically a lizard!”

“Lance, calm down. We don’t even know if he’s going to say yes-“

“Nail polish remover! We need nail polish remover! Look at this,” he held out his hands in front of him, the dark blue polish was chipped horribly. “I can’t meet Keith Kogane with my nails like this!”

“You’re impossible.” Pidge hurried down the busy street, weaving in and out of the crowd. They weren’t trying to run away from Lance, but they weren’t giving him a chance to catch up either. Lance was too busy freaking out about every little thing, voicing his worries out loud. At first people passed him normally, but pretty soon they crowd was steering clear of the crazy kid talking to himself.

This erratic behavior continued all the way to the CVS on the corner, and then to the train, and then up the stairs to his apartment. Pidge had said goodbye a long time ago, heading to meet their brother Matt for a movie. Lance didn’t even notice they were gone until he unlocked the door to his place.

He place his new sunglasses carefully on the kitchen table and switched on the TV, more out of habit than anything. He plopped on the couch and grabbed his shopping bag with cotton balls and a bottle of nail polish remover. He scrubbed away the blue polish, tossing stained cotton balls left and right. It littered the floor like confetti at a party.

A few hours later, after his second coat of polish finally dried, Lance’s phone lit up with a message from Shiro. Lance felt the whole room spin as he read the short message.

_Heard back from Kogane’s people. He sounds interested. Not a yes, but fingers crossed._

This was happening way too fast. It had been what? Four hours? Five? There’s no way this was real. Shiro had to be lying, or worst. Pidge had hacked his phone and sent the message. That had to be it.

Lance’s fingers flew on his phone. _Bull-shit. This is Pidge, isn’t it? Don’t toy with my emotions._

It only took a few moments for a response. _Language Lance. And no, it’s me._

Still a bit unconvinced, Lance sent another message. _Proof?_

Lance watched the three little dots move, his anticipation growing. A picture was attached to this message. It was a screenshot from and email. It was addressed to Shiro, all in professional gibberish. Lance scanned the message and when he found what he was looking for; he read it four more times before the words made sense.

Mr. Kogane is extremely interested.

Extremely interested.

Interested in the extreme. 

Lance might have short circuited. He sent Shiro some random emoji and the set his phone down on his bed. He didn’t remember coming to his room; hell he didn’t remember standing up from the couch. But it was apparent that he needed to move. There was a huge rush of energy suddenly squirming in his belly and he needed to get it out.

Lance paced back and forth in his room, a tiny groove in the carpet marking his path. “I can’t believe this is happening… I cannot believe this is happening…”

He fell back on his bad, careful not to mess up his perfectly painted nails. Lance’s heart pounded against his rib cage. A warm feeling spreading from his chest to his toes. This must have been a dream.

Lance rolled onto his side, facing one of the many posters he hung behind his bed. There was a weird assortment of things he’d taped up there after moving into this comfortable one bedroom apartment. There was a Star Wars poster (Empire of course), a flyer from one of their first shows, a drawing of a dragon by one of his younger siblings, a wrapper from some Japanese candy a fan had sent them, and ticket stubs literally everywhere,  filling in all the empty spaces.

But the biggest thing of them all, the one thing he actually framed on this messy wall of things, was a picture of Keith.

The picture wasn’t advertising anything, it was just him. His hair bellowing around him, the sharp lines of his profile looking too perfect to be natural. Like they were sculpted by some renaissance artist. Lance had had the damn thing for years now and still didn’t get tired looking at it.

Okay so maybe he was a little bit obsessed. But at least he didn’t have like, a shrine in his closet or anything.

Yet.

It’s been two minutes since he got Shiro’s text and already he was ready to burst. He needed an answer, now if he wanted to survive the rest of the week. Lance hopped off his bed and raced to grab his laptop from the living room. He fell on this couch and opened up YouTube. He typed in his crushes name and squealed in joy as all sorts of results popped up.

 

* * *

 

“What’s wrong with him?” Pidge poked Lance’s cheek, snickering when he tried to swat them away. Lance buried his face into his arms, making himself as comfortable as he could against the hard wood table.

“I don’t know.” Hunk shrugged and plopped down next to Lance at the table shooing Pidge away. They had a glass of water in their hands that was dangerously close to Lance’s head. “He probably stayed up late again last night.”

As if to answer, Lance mumbled something into the crook of his elbow. Pidge took the opportunity to mess with him. “Or he was too busy thinking about _you know who_.” They slid in the seat next to him, propping their head on their hands.

“...mmmgoawaaaayPiiiidge….” Lance’s voice was muffled.

Pidge pretended not to hear his protests. “I bet he already has an outfit picked out and what he’s going to say…”

“Piiiddge.”

“- see you repainted your nails. What if you chip it the day you meet Kogane? What will the world famous model think when he sees how little you care about you appearance?”

Lance finally sat up and rubbed his hands through his hair. He knitted his fingers together and his arms dangle on the sides on his head. “Pidge. I hate you.”

“You’re thinking about it now, huh?” They poked him in the side, getting a little frustrated groan from their friend. “Getting all worked up again?”

“Yes.” Lance whined and banged his head back down on the table.

Hunk slapped him on the back, “C’mon man, stop stressing. We don’t even know if he’s going to say yes. All we know is that he’s interested. And really, they could just be a nice way of saying no thanks- without really, y’know saying it.”

“Hunk. You’re making Lance implode.” Pidge pointed out. And sure enough Lance had sunk lower in his seat and looked about ready fall off his chair. If it were possible, there would be a thunder cloud hanging over his head right about now.

“Whoops. Sorry buddy.” Hunk lightly tapped him on the shoulder; a little worried he might have broken him.

Lance suddenly sat up, a new energy making him look downright insane. “What if Hunk is right?” he asked Pidge, wide eyed. “What if he does say no? What if they’re just letting us down easy? Then I’ll never get to meet him.” He began pulling at strands of his hair, making it stick out in random places. “Pidge, what am I going to do if I never meet him??”

“Um, be a normal person?” They suggested.

“Tch, that’s overrated.” Lance leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.

 The ceiling in this place was high. Higher than the one in their last studio. Well, there last studio hadn’t been anything special. Just an old store converted into a recording studio for fun. Hunk’s parents owned the place but after a local restaurant across the street closed, business had been kind of slow. It took the collective begging of Lance, Pidge and Hunk to let them convert the place into something they could use for their budding musical talents.

Throw in a promise from Shiro that he wouldn’t let things get out of hand and bam; you got the start of some great things. And man, those were some amazing times.

Lance counted the ceiling tiles, going through the events of his crazy life one little slice at a time. He thought about those long nights in the store, coming up with new melodies and lyrics that made his head spin. Pidge teaching themselves all these complicated rhythms on their beat up old drum set. Hunk fingers flying on his bass, complementing Lance’s guitar playing to a t. And then there was Shiro, surprising them all when he revealed that not only could he play guitar, but that he was a fucking pro at it. Lance remembered the first time they put it all together and actually felt like a real band. Like they had found magic inside those four little walls. And dear God, did he want to hold on to that feeling forever.

So they kept on creating, kept on moving, for no one really but themselves. The recorded a few things here and there; landing a few gigs at local places in town. It wasn’t until his little sister uploaded their stuff on YouTube that things really got interesting. Now everyone was beginning to feel what Lance had felt that first night they found their sound. At least, he thinks they do.

Moving out of that little place a few months ago was necessary. It was a part of the process of ‘making it’ in this industry. Now they had a big cushy studio with a lounge, a kitchen and also a room in the back with beds for them to sleep in if they were pulling an all-nighter. Which has happened several times.

Cozied up next to the place was a big warehouse that their label uses for music videos. Soon, Lance would be living in that place while they tried to get four videos done in a month. Whoever came up with that idea was seriously trying to kill him.

“Hey guys,” Shiro’s voice was ruining his day dreams. “Sorry I’m late.”

“7 minutes, Shiro.” Pidge pushed up their glasses which had begun to slide down there nose. “You better have a good excuse.”

“I brought coffee.” He set down the drink tray along with a pink box that just had to be filled with donuts.

“Oh hell yeah, I love it when Shiro pays.” Lance tugged at the drink with a big ‘L’ on the written on it and popped off the lid. He fanned the steam towards his face and practically melted at the sweet scent of coffee wafted around his head. Of course, normal coffee wasn’t supposed to smell like a bowl of ice cream topped with hot caramel and chocolate chips but _of course_ Lance couldn’t have anything be too normal. It would, as he’s said a million times, ‘ruin the creative flow’.

The creative flow was nothing but Lance bouncing off the walls after drinking a four of those sugary beasts while trying to get Pidge to sing something on their next single. That usually ended with a sugar crash, along with something else crashing into a wall while Lance made his retreat.

Lance took few sips of the hot drink before putting the lid back on and reaching for a donut. “So Shiro,” he took a big bite, pink frosting getting stuck on the corner of his mouth, “why are we here so early?”

Shiro had his back to the table, too busy unloading one of his bags into the refrigerator. By the look of things, he had purchased a whole heap of things to get them through the next few weeks. “Were here to go over everything that’s going to be happening in the next month.” Shiro moved on to the freezer. As soon as he opened the door, he sighed. “Pidge? What is that?”

“Huh? Oh yeah!” Pidge practically skipped over to Shiro who had a less then enthused look on his face. “That’s part of a new system I’m building. I didn’t have the proper way to transport it back home, so the circuits have to stay cold if I ever want to get it working. But yesterday Matt said that he-“

“Just- just get it out by the end of the day.” Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. He worked around the chunk of electronics, putting in some frozen meals and a tub of something that looked like ice cream inside. Lance didn’t get his hopes up though. Most likely it was gelato. Shiro loved the stuff.

“Fiiinnne.” Pidge whined as they dragged their feet back to the table. “I’ll text Matt.”

After a few more minutes of Pidge’s whining, Shiro had unpacked everything and pulled up the last chair at their kitchen table. He pulled out his phone and planner out of his jacket pockets. “Alright… so…”

“So fearless leader, just how tired am I going to be after all this is over?” Lance asked, finishing off his donut.

“You’ll be fine, Lance.” He reassured. “We’ve all had worst times before.”

“Uh huh, yeah. That’s what you say now. But you’re not the one who has to write a new song in a month.”

“A month and a half and it was just a suggestion.” Shiro sighed. “Coran was just saying having twelve songs instead of eleven on the album would round it out better.”

“What’s wrong with eleven songs?” Lance stuck out his bottom lip in a forced pout.

“Nothing, it’s just an odd number.”

“You’re an odd number…” he mumbled into his cup.

Hunk nudged him with his shoulder. “Ooo, nice one buddy.”

“BACK TO BUSINESS….” Shiro had raised his voice to dad mode which made everyone at the table shut up. “We have a lot to do before December rolls around and we can’t afford to get behind.” He flipped open his planner that had a whole mess of colored tabs sticking out here and there. “Now, the album comes out on December 20th, digital copy only. We won’t be doing a physical CD until February-“

“I’m pretty sure my parents are the only ones who buy those.” Hunk chimed in. “And, I guess your parents,” he pointed to Pidge, “and Lance’s. And- Shiro, do your parents still buy CDs?”

“We getting off topic again.” he sighed.

“Oops. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, any way… Lance, if you do decide to finish up that song for the album, we’d need by 15th at the latest. That way we’d have enough time to record it and get it ready for the release.”

_So yeah, a month to write a song_ Lance thought. It’s not like he couldn’t do it. Once he churned out four songs in one day. But that was a different time. There wasn’t this pressure of release dates or anything like that. It was just fun. But being an up and coming rock star was pretty damn fun too, just… it took a little more effort to just sit down and write a song lately.

Lance had missed the part of Shiro’s rambling when it came to cover art finally being decided on but he was snapped right back into the conversation at the mention of a certain name.

“What did you say about my boyfriend?” Lance popped up in his chair, his full attention on Shiro.

Pidge snorted. “I think you mean husband, dude.” Lance shot them a dirty look but then realized that husband sounded a lot better than boyfriend. He felt his insides squirm at the idea.

Shiro chuckled at the expression on Lance’s face. “Well, I haven’t heard anything about it today, but my friend on the inside let slip that Keith is a big fan of ours.”

“Okay time out.” Lance held up his hand effectively shushing the older man. He took a deep breath and spoke a little too loudly. “You mean to tell me that Keith fucking Kogane is a fan?” Shiro open his mouth to speak but was cut off again by an even louder Lance. “AND that you, Takashi Shirogane, have a connection that is close enough to my future husband to actually KNOW his taste in music?? I thought we were friends!?”

“Calm down, Lance. Of course were friends.” Shiro had an amused look on his face, clearly not bother by Lance’s words or tone.

“Then how come this is the first time I’ve heard of this mystery person?!”

“Because-“Pidge, who was busy doing something on their phone during this whole conversation suddenly decided to speak up. “if you’d known about Allura, you would have gone all psycho on her and asked her to… I don’t know- get a piece of Keith’s hair or some other crazy stalker thing.”

Lance shook his head, “I am not a stalker!” Then a question struck him. “Wait, who’s Allura?”

With a very audible sigh, Pidge tapped on their phone for a few minutes before sliding it over to Lance. “Allura Altea. Keith Kogane’s stylist and current bff. Shiro and her met in college, but fell out of touch after hero boy over here went into the army. She found him on Facebook a few months ago and they’ve been messaging each other off and on. “

Lance scrolled through her Facebook, instantly recognizing her from some pictures he’d seen on Keith’s Instagram. He’d always thought she was pretty, but he usually didn’t pay attention to anyone if Keith was in the photo. Looking at her now though, he realized that she wasn’t just pretty. She was downright the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Long slivery hair, dark skin and a killer body, she looked like a princess beamed down from the planet awesome. One picture of both her and Keith posing after some runway show made Lance wonder why everyone didn’t swing both ways.

He slid back the phone to Pidge, a million new questions on his mind. He only managed to spit out one. “H-how do you know all this?”

“Yeah,” Shiro crossed his arms and looked down at them a little annoyed. “How do you know all that?”

Pidge simply shrugged. “You yelled at me for keeping my stuff in the freezer.” They went back to their phone, probably changing Shiro’s password and updating his status to something stupid. Lance stared at his friends, kind of astonished that they managed to learn that much in a manner of minutes. And he also felt a little more afraid of them than usual.

All of that aside, Lance went back to what Shiro had said. Keith… Keith Kogane was a fan of theirs? A fan of his? Could it really be possible?

It felt like a dream, not something that could ever be reality. His crush listened to their music- enjoyed their music, bought their music. Hell if he had known that, Lance would have invited the guy to a concert. Played it off real cool and given him a backstage pass and everything. He was picturing it in his mind. It played out like some crazy, crazy dream.

Now the real question. Which song was Keith’s favorite?

The conversation carried on around him, but Lance had checked out completely. No one said anything when he stood up from the table, a far off look on his face. They had seen that face many times before. Dreamy eyes with a concentrated tilt to his brow. Lance was on the verge of something. Now his creative juices really were flowing.

Lance strode over to the couch, a beat up old guitar case leaned up against the soft leather. This old electric guitar wasn’t the one he used in shows. It wasn’t the one he wailed on when he was cooped up in the recording studio, hammering out take after take until he got it perfect. No, this wasn’t something people got to see often. In fact, there was only about a dozen people in the world who seen this particular guitar.  

With practiced hands, Lance hoisted the case onto the coffee table and flicked open the metal latches. He pulled aside the protective cloth and picked up the old instrument, letting his fingers run across the strings making an out of tune twang. He sat back and picked the strings individually, one hand tuning it to perfection.

Lance had brought his dad’s old guitar with him in a kind of spur of the moment decision. He didn’t take it out of his place often. A weird fear that he would somehow lose it on the train or drop it running down the street- just thinking of those things made his heart pound a little faster.

But today had just felt different. Getting about 4 hours of sleep might have had something to do with that, but Lance couldn’t know for sure.

Out of the dozens of songs he’s written over the years, the ones that got them famous, the ones that made his mom cry, the ones that have never been hear by anyone other than the people in this room; all of his most favorite creations had been composed on this guitar. And hopefully, he was about to stumble upon another one.

Lance closed his eyes, propping his feet up on the table and leaning his head back and trying to get the cords to match the feeling he had running through his head. That how things always started when he was writing; with a feeling.

He wasn’t really sure what the feeling was though and that hadn’t happened before. Whether it be in a fit of rage, lost in some sadness, or trying to navigate his way through young love, Lance always knew where he was starting when he picked up his guitar and started trying out some cords. Only this time, the feeling was much more abstract than anything he’d ever felt before. It didn’t have a name… at least not one that he knew about. Lance didn’t put much thought into it and continued strumming out different cords on his guitar waiting to find the right one to appear.

* * *

 

The next day, Lance had once again fallen asleep on his couch. He’d spent the night on his laptop looking through Allura’s Facebook page. It took so much self-control not to send her a friend request. That and Shiro had given him the death glare when he mentioned it yesterday. To his dismay, Keith didn’t have a Facebook. The only things that popped up where stupid fan pages.

There was a loud buzzing sound in his ears, followed by a bang. He jumped up in surprise and immediately felt a creak in his back. “.. son of bitch…”. Lance moved slowly this time, stretching his poor back one little vertebra at a time.

The bang was his laptop, hitting the floor after he was jerked awake. As for the buzzing…? The handle on his front door rattled. Still a bit out of it, Lance launched himself into his bedroom slamming the door behind him. Was somebody breaking in? Was he about to get straight up murdered before he even got to meet Keith Kogane? He couldn’t die now, not when he was this close.

“Oh for the love of… Lance chill out it’s just us.” That was Pidge’s voice. Why was Pidge in his apartment? And then he remembered. Pidge has a spare key.

He swung the door open, kind of hoping it hit Pidge in their stupid little face. The door bounced off his wall leaving a mark. Now he’d have to fix that or face the wrath of his stupid super. “You lose spare key privileges.” His voice sounded a bit rough this morning. Good thing they didn’t have a gig or anything.

“No I’m not.” They waved the tall boy aside with one hand. “Who else could save your ass after you leave your keys on the train? Not Shiro, he lives on the other side of the town.”

“And not me.” Hunk appeared in the doorway, his arms ladled with take-out bags. “I lose my keys about as often as you do.”

“How do you two even survive without me?” Pidge pitched their nose, shifting their big round glasses.

“What are you guys doing here, anyways? You could have knocked.” Lance was still not over being woken up.

“Dude, we rang your buzzer like ten times.” Hunk set his things down and opened the fridge.

“Huh, so that was that buzzing sound…” suddenly he remembered the noise swimming in and out of his dreams. “I must have been out hard.”

“Judging by the bed head and drool stain- yeah I’d say so.” Lance rubbed his face with his sleeve and ran his hands through his hair. Pidge’s eyes suddenly got wide; their big glasses making them look the size of saucers. “Wait, you just woke up… so that means you haven’t heard yet?” There was that tone again.

“What? Heard what?!” Lance began bouncing on his heels. “Hunk, tell me!”

Pidge practically flew over to Hunk, clapping their hands over his mouth. “Don’t you say shit, Hunk!”

“Tell me!” Lance whined, looking like a big child having a tantrum.

“You see, this is what happens when you sleep the day away. It’s practically one, y’know.”

“Ugh, I don’t care- tell me what’s happening!”

“Nope.”

“Piiidge!”

“Why don’t you check your phone, you big baby.”

“My phone…? MY PHONE!” Lance dove to the couch, looking for the little device. He’d fallen asleep with it sitting next to him, so it had to be there somewhere. He tossed the pillows aside, digging into the cushions. Just as he was about to dive in head first, he heard a little buzz. Like his laptop, his phone had fallen on the hardwood floor. Lance snatched it up. He pressed the button, but to his horror it was dead. That last little buzz must have been its dying wail.

Lance made it to his room in two long strides. He dove across his bed to and reached for his phone charger on the ground. He jammed the cord in and waited impatiently for the thing to come to life.

“Didn’t charge you phone, huh?” Hunk came into the room, a bag of chips in his hands.

“I forgot, okay? I didn’t realize the shit would be going down on a Tuesday. I mean, it’s _Tuesday_. No one likes Tuesdays.”

 “What do you have against Tuesdays, man?”

“They’re just- I don’t know! Wait… its working!” Lance watched in glee as his phone lit up. His eyes got wide, watching the start-up screen do its thing. After a few agonizing seconds, a message made it buzz in his hands. It was from Shiro.

Lance’s heart legitimately skipped a beat. This was it. This message could very well hold a yes. Or, what if it was a no?

His finger hovered over the message icon. Hunk bounced on the bed, making his hand slip and hit it. The message popped open and Lance wanted to scream.

_We got Kogane._

* * *

 

Lance was pacing again, but this time he had an audience for his freak out. Pidge and Hunk were sitting on the little couch across from him watching his slow descent in to madness. They were still in the studio today, going over contracts and scheduling for the next few days.

One thing no one really liked to think about in this professional world was the legal stuff. Shiro handled pretty much all of that and made sure that no one accidently signed their life away. Lance in particular wondered why a verbal agreement wasn’t enough anymore. He was still pretty naïve to how brutal the industry could be.

“Would you sit down already? You’re giving me a head ache.” Pidge tucked their legs underneath them, never breaking eye contact with their phone.

“I can’t sit down!” he didn’t mean to shout, he was just so worked up that it came out in a burst. Lance clamp his jaw shut, welding them together with and imaginary blow torch. He had to calm down. If he didn’t, he might make himself look like a fool in front of Keith.

Lance dragged his feet to one of the chairs, basically collapsing on the soft leather.

Hunk looked at him with a little smile on his face. “You’ll be fine buddy. You’re just getting all worked up over nothing.” He stretched out, putting his feet on the table. “Keith is just a normal guy, y’know. It’s not like he’s royalty or anything.”

“He might be…”

“Hunk, stop talking.” A small hand cut off whatever Hunk was trying to say next. “You’re just going to make things worse.”

“Sorry.”

Lance nodded shakily. Sitting down was not helping, but he didn’t want to look like a crazy person. Pacing up and down the floor, muttering to himself. What a horrible first impression that would be. Lance clutched his shaking hands together, trying to hold on to any sense of dignity he had. This shouldn’t have been making him so nervous. What would a rational person do in this situation?

While Lance was busy thinking about that, the door behind him swung open. In walked Shiro, talking animatedly over his shoulder. Lance nearly froze in his seat. This was is. This was the moment he’d been waiting for.

“I’m back.” Shiro called happily. Unable to keep his cool, Lance whipped around in his seat looking for his future husband. There was Allura, more beautiful in person, some guy in a suit that did not match his purple hair, and then a third person who looked like they’d just rolled out of bed and into a pile of dirty laundry. “Everyone this is Allura, Greg and I think you all know Keith-“

Keith? Where? Lance leaned out of his chair, trying to see if he was still in the doorway.

“Hey.” Hunk and Pidge hopped up from their spots to be cordial.

The walking ragamuffin suddenly spoke up, pushing a tuft of dark hair under their beanie. “’Sup.”

Lance felt like a rug was being pulled out from underneath him. Every crazy scenario he’d run though last night had not prepared him for this. There was nothing in his crazy, overactive imagination that planned for this. Keith Kogane. The amazingly beautiful Keith Kogane; looked like a fucking homeless person.

_Lance.exe has stopped working_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is pouting (and doesn't hide it well). Keith was excited about meeting his favorite band but this isn't a great first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and the kudos! It's really nice to see. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll post a link to the song a little later.

Lance rocked back and forth in his chair, a lollipop from his candy stash melting in his cheek. He tapped his foot on the ground and glared at the little group that were conversing in the lounge. Pidge was talking animatedly to the hobo, their hands moving with every word. The person who was claiming to be Keith was listening with bright eyes, laughing every once and a while. Hunk sat on the arm of the couch, adding in little bits here and there. All three of them looked so chummy and it had only been about ten minutes. Lance’s frown deepened.

Then something horrible happened. The imposter took off his beanie and shook out his hair. It fell around his shoulder and Lance nearly choked on air. He had a mullet. A long, scraggily mullet. There was no way in hell Shiro got the right guy.

This slob could not be Keith Kogane. This must have been some long and drawn out scheme Pidge came up with to get back at him after he stole their left over ramen. Pidge was pretty crazy about normal things, but when it came to food they became a snarling honey badger out for blood. A big prank like this was right up their alley.

Only question, how did they get Shiro to go along with it? He never liked to be a part of their pranks.

The conversation carried on without him, but really he didn’t have anything to add. The only reason he stayed at the business table was so that he could pout without Pidge making fun of him. Really he wanted to run away. Back to his place, shut all the blinds and turn up some music. And maybe bang his head against the wall until he woke up from this nightmare. Maybe.

Greg turned out to be Keith’s manager. In spite of the formal wear, he seemed like a pretty cool guy and a veteran in the fashion world. One look at the matching cuff links and tie pin could tell you that. Actually the fact the he wore both of those things was sign enough. Him and Shiro were going over a thick stack or papers but neither of them seemed too worried about it. The sight of the pile hit Lance with anxiety.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Lance’s attention was snapped back to the present. Allura was smiling at him, a warm feeling settling in his chest.

“It’s uh- nice to meet you too.” That was smooth.

“Shiro told me all about you and the others when we went to school together. He couldn’t shut up about you all, in fact.” She had an accent that he couldn’t really place. Maybe she was European?

Lance decided to cheer himself up and make fun of his friend. “Yeah, Shiro doesn’t have many friends. It’s no wonder he talked about us all the time. Honestly I’m amazed he managed to turn your head.” He covered the side of his mouth with his hand and whispered. “He’s always been scared of pretty girls.”

Allura giggled, stifling it with one of her hands. A cute little blush warmed her cheeks and Lance decided that today wasn’t a total waste. He spared a glance at Shiro to see if he’d heard but he was too busy talking business to pay attention.

“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that Keith has this opportunity. He’s been getting a little tired lately and I was really starting to get worried.” And down goes his mood again. For a moment, Lance forgot that Allura was the mullet’s best friend. He forgot that the guy was even here.

“Yeah, must be hard making _that_ look presentable.” He mumbled, glancing over at the trio on the couch. Mullet was laughing, a loud annoying sound that made Lance grind his teeth. The lollipop in his mouth cracked.

Allura obviously did hear him. “It’s been a trying time, working so much at such a young age. Eight shows in two and a half weeks… and this is the off season. I can’t imagine what things are going to be like in the spring.”

Despite his annoyance at the mullet man, he couldn’t help but feel interested. Especially when he was picturing the beautiful man from the poster on his wall. That got his heart pumping. “Do you always travel with him?”

“Most of the time, seeing that I am a part of his entourage. However whenever he’s doing a runway show I’m not really needed. They have their own stylists and makeup artists there already. I would just take up space.” Allura swept her hair over her shoulder and started braiding it with quick fingers. “Really I’ve just been moral support for the past few weeks. It can get a bit lonely in different countries when you don’t know the language.”

“Sounds _fashion-ating_.”

“Was that- was that a pun?” She was already laughing, abandoning her hair and rocking back in her chair. Lance looked on at his work with pride.

“What’s so funny?” A voice from behind killed the mood. It wasn’t Pidge and it certainly wasn’t Hunk, which only left the mullet man. Lance sank in his chair and munched on what was left of his candy.

Allura waved her hand, trying to recover from laughing so hard. “Oh- it’s nothing. You had to be there.”

“Keith!” Greg sat up in his seat at the sight of his client. “Finally ready to get down to business?”

“Ugh, you’re still not done with all that?” he groaned. “You know I hate reading all of that stuff.”

“Yeah yeah, it’s a wonder you haven’t been sold to some designer for two pennies and broken a stiletto.” This must have been a conversation they had often.

Lance glance up at Keith, his image of him shattered even more this up close. There was no way in hell this guys was a model. If the mullet and raggedy beanie wasn’t enough, his sweatshirt was so wrinkled it looked like a crumple up piece of paper. There were tired bags under his eyes and the tip on his noes looked pink, like he was just recovering from a cold. Lance looked down at his perfectly painted nails and scoffed. He really was freaking out over nothing.

Shiro cleared his throat, grabbing the attention. “Well it looks like everything is in order. The label’s already approved the contract- you all right with the revisions?”

Greg nodded. “Everything works on our end.”

“Alright, then we just need a few signatures…” Shiro passed the paper over to Greg who signed with a bit of a dramatic flare. He slid it over to Keith who leaned over Allura’s shoulder to add his signature.

And with that, the deal was set.

Lance decided he wasn’t needed anymore and disappeared down the hall. He ducked inside the recording studio and flicked on the lights. This room was about the size of Lance’s whole apartment, the booth adding another few square feet. Large, colorful rugs decorated the floor with thick wires running underneath them. Puffy sound proof foam lined the walls making the room look a little smaller than it actually was.

He strode over to his guitar stand, dragging a small amp to the center of the room. Lance jammed in the cord and turned it on.

 

* * *

 

Keith watched the tall singer practically sprint down the hall. He could only assume he was running away from something, but what that was he was completely oblivious. His role in the paper work was over so he checked out of the conversation and went over to the other band members. “What’s that about?” he jutted his thumb in the direction of the vanishing guitarist.

The shorter one, Pidge, had a devilish grin on their face. “Oh he’s just pouting.” They answered simply. Something about that look made him think there was a juicy story behind that comment but he wasn’t going to hear about it now. After all, he just met these people.

“He’ll be fine by tomorrow.” Hunk reassured.

Keith wasn’t too sure about that. Still, he’d worked with difficult people in the past so this wasn’t going to be too much of a challenge. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t be. Seeing the quick grimace from Lance spoke volumes about what this job was going to entail. Keith took a deep breath and pulled his beanie further down over his ears.

“So I’m not needed here anymore,” Greg scooped up his copy of the signed contract and tossed it into his brief case. “I’m going let you all get down to business. See you later Keith. It was good to meet you all!”

Already his phone was stuck to his ear, probably another client begging for attention. Greg slid out the door laughing almost maniacally.

“Here Keith,” Allura patted the seat next to her, the one Lance had vacated only a few moments ago.

“Thanks.” He sat down and scooted closer to her. As much as he feigned confidence, Keith always got nervous around new people. It often caused him to come off as rude or ornery when he really was supposed to be making a good impression. Allura had the ability to calm him, make him less of an asshole and more like someone you actually wanted to talk to. He was grateful that she volunteered to come along today.

“Okay, so I guess the best place to start is with the music.” Shiro neatly stacked his copy of the contract before turning to the rest of the table. “You probably want to know what exactly you have to work with.”

Keith nodded, excitement beginning to bubble in his belly. “Yeah that usually helps.”

“Unfortunately our creative director couldn’t be here today to go over everything, but he’ll be here bright and early tomorrow when we get started.” Shiro pulled out his phone, scrunching up his nose in thought. “Hmmm Pidge did you ever fix my docking station?”

“You wanted me to fix it?” Their face went a little red. “I uh- I might have t-taken it apart… But don’t worry! I’ll get you a new one!”

Shiro raked his hands through his hair, the white tuff of bangs getting particularly ruffled. He fixed his friend with a sort of exasperated look that almost make Keith laugh. “I’m going to hold you to that. I have all these witnesses.”

Pidge nodded their face still flush with embarrassment.

“That’s fine, let’s just go to the booth. It’ll sound a better in there any way.” He pushed back his chair and stood, giving everyone else time to follow.

“It’ll sound a million times better then on that rinky dink docking station.” Pidge had adopted an overly enthusiastic tone, trying to put a positive spin on their mess up. One look at Shiro told him that it wasn’t working.

Keith stood and pulled out Allura’s chair, letting her go ahead of him as they followed the band down the hall. This place was pretty impressive, especially considering no one even new their name over a year ago. Things move pretty fast in this day and age. Shiro led them down the hall and turned sharply into an already open door. Music was blaring from door, muffled but still pretty loud. Keith recognized the guitar riff. The song was still pulled up on his iPod.

Allura leaned back and whispered. “He is really talented, isn’t he?”

Keith was the last in the booth, so he was the last to see the lead singer sitting in the middle of the recording studio wailing on his guitar. Lance’s eyes were closed, his fingers moving fast along the neck of the guitar in a mesmerizing motion. His lips were moving ever so slightly, probably singing along. Keith shook off whatever feeling was growing his chest and huffed. “He looks like a show off.”

“Keith, be nice.” She scolded. Keith rolled his eyes a squeezed inside in behind her.

Shiro and the others seemed completely unimpressed by the show that was going on on the other side of the thick glass. Shiro sat in one of the chairs and leaned towards a thin microphone. He pressed a button and spoke. “Play times over, Lance.”

Lance jumped, nearly falling off his chair in the process. There was a loud twang as his hands slipped across the strings. Keith had to cover his ears at the terrible sound.

“What the hell, Shiro?! I was just in the middle of greatness!”

Pidge wiggled their way in between Shiro and the mic. “Stop showing off for you boyfriend.”

“B-boyfriend?! PIDGE!” Lance turned beet red. No, worse than that. Like beets, tomatoes and every other red thing you could think of had been tossed into a blender and turned on high. He launched himself out of his chair, getting tangled in the cord and nearly falling over. Pidge wasted no time and booked it out of the room, laughing wildly as they passed Keith.

Barley managing to stay on his feet, Lance scrambled to the studio door and yanked it open. “I’m going to kill you Pidge Holt!”

Keith snickered in to his sweatshirt sleeve, the whole scene playing out like some cheesy sitcom. Lance’s fierce gaze shot over to him, the anger mixing with some other emotion. Before he could figure out what that was, Lance pushed himself out the door and continued yelling after his friend.

“Does that happen often around here?” Allura’s hair looked windswept, like she’d been standing outside during a summer breeze.

Shiro was running his hands though his hair again, a motion Keith realized he’d be seeing a lot of during this job. His voice came out in a tired sigh. “Yes. All. The. Time.”

Keith and Allura shared a look. Although she looked far more amused at the situation then he did. If anything, Keith just felt confused.

With two of their group gone, there was much more room to move around. Allura took the seat next to Shiro asking him a few questions about the different controls that were laid out in front of him. Judging by the bright look in her eyes, there might have been a different reason she was so eager to come along today.

He really didn’t know about the history those two shared. All he really knew was that Allura went to college with the guy for two years. Then he signed up for the army and she didn’t hear anything for a long time. After that, she dove into the fashion world and somehow became his friend, even though most people didn’t even look twice at him. Right around then was when Keith’s career began to blossom.

After the two of them reconnected, Keith noticed a change in his friend. Something subtle that he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been spending all hours of the day with her. And judging by the smile on his face, Shiro was feeling something too. Ignoring the future love birds, Keith took this opportunity to find out more about what just happened. He flopped down on the couch next to Hunk, pulling his sleeves over his hands.

“So,” he turned to the big guy, a little unsure about how to word this question. “What was that?”

“Huh?” Hunk had been listening to whatever Shiro was gabbing on about.

“ _That_ -“ he motioned to the door. Lance’s angry shrieking could still be heard even with the door shut.

“Oh _that_ \- well that’s kind of… Pidge just really likes to mess with us. Well, not all of us. Mostly Lance. They say he’s and easy target.”

“Uh huh.” That wasn’t really the part Keith was interested in. Looks like he had to be a little more direct. “What did Pidge mean by ‘boyfriend’?”

Hunk laughed a little nervous sounding, “Well that’s because Lance might be a little fan of yours. Well, not little. He kind of thinks your awesome.”

It was a causal remark. Like Hunk was reading off his grocery list or something else mundane. But those little words sent a little shiver down his spine. It was always a bit of a thrill hearing that someone liked you, but when that someone was the lead singer of your all-time favorite band, it was enough to floor someone as emotionally checked out as Keith. He could feel his cheeks getting warm and hoped to god that Hunk didn’t notice. Lance McClain was a fan? The creative mind behind some of his favorite songs, actually knew he existed? This… this was…

Something.

Keith realized that he had been quiet a little too long. He had to think of something quick before he looked like a total nerd. “He- uh- didn’t _seem_ all that friendly.” Keith finally managed to form words. It was true. Lance didn’t act like he was his fan. He didn’t even act like a nice person when they met. Keith’s good mood suddenly turned sour.

“Yeah… honestly I don’t really know why.” Hunk shrugged. “He’s probably just nervous.”

He snorted, not believing Hunk’s guess one bit. If anything, the look in Lance’s eyes was disappointment. Something he’s seen plenty of times in his life. The question was, what was Lance disappointed about? If he had to guess, the answer would be he was disappointed with Keith himself.

Keith pulled up his knees to his chest, picking at the hole he’d torn in his jeans ages ago. The dark denim frayed at the edge, each little string Keith pulled out making it a little bit bigger. This wasn’t going to get to him. This shouldn’t be a problem. No, he could deal with this. After all, he’d dealt with a lot more in his shitty young life then one whiney rock star. Still, he might have to rethink buying their next album.

“So what is this song Keith is going to be helping you with?” In swoops Allura, getting him back on track as usual.

“Right,” Shiro’s cheeks had a nice little pink hue to them. All that talk with his long lost friend must be bringing up some old feelings. Keith bit his lip and tried not to stare. Shiro ducked underneath the desk, messing with a CD player. “The song is called ‘Process of Illumination’. It’s actually one of the first things we wrote together. Way back in the day before,” Shiro swept his hand around in the room, “all of this. Usually Lance is the one who writes the songs and then we just fill in our parts later. But this one kind of just happened one night. It took us forever to actually record it.”

The music started; a bang of a start. Immediately you were tossed into the fast paced guitar playing that was probably setting you up for one hell of a ride. Keith pulled his beanie over his eyes and leaned his head on the back of the couch to listen.

It was a classic Voltron style song. One that made Keith feel nostalgic for a time when no one knew about his favorite band. Like most of their music, it felt alive. The melody twisted and turned and you never really knew where it was going. There were moments of silence while they moved into a new theme completely keeping you hooked. It made his pulse beat faster and his mind work to keep up with the lyrics. Now he has to buy the new album for this song alone.

Once it came to an end, Keith ears were ringing.

“So, what do you think?” Shiro asked.

Keith sat up and pushed his hat out of his eyes. “That was- pretty good.” He didn’t want to seem too enthusiastic. He had his cool guy image to uphold.

“That was great!” Allura clapped her hands together and beamed at Shiro, sending the poor man into a flustered state.

“Y-you think so?” he asked her, his eyes wide and hopeful. “You can have a copy- if you like…”

“That would be wonderful.”

Keith practically shoved his sleeve into his mouth to stop himself from bursting. Shiro was the perfect example of a man smitten. His eyes were all soft, his breath hitching every time she looked at him and his blush had spread all the way to the tips of his ears. This might have been the most intense crush Keith had ever seen.

Hunk noticed the ridiculous expression his friend wore and snuck a picture with his phone. Keith looked up at him, a little confused. He’d known the guy all of 20 minutes, but he didn’t seem like the kind to stock pile blackmail. “Pidge would kill me if I’d missed this.” Hunk shrugged, typing away on their phone.

“Got it.” Keith nodded. Pidge seemed liked a cool person, but definitely the type that you wanted to stay on their good side. He made a mental note to do nothing even remotely embarrassing while he was here.

“As far as the actual video goes, Coran has it all laid out, shot for shot.”

“Who Coran?” asked Keith, drawn back into the job.

“He’s our creative director and sometimes our producer. We’ve been working with him since we started out. Coran will give you a low down on what you’ll actually be doing, so for now I would just get a feel for the song.”

Shiro burned two CD’s, one for Allura and one for Keith. After a little more chit chat between the four of them, Shiro led them back out to the main room where Lance and Pidge had disappeared too. Looking around, Keith didn’t actually see Lance at all. Pidge was the only one he saw, sitting nonchalantly in a chair that they’d pulled up in front of the bathroom door. They were doing something on their phone and every so often there would be a bang on the door behind them and some incoherent string of insults.

They looked up when everyone arrived and smiled. “Shiro, you new docking station will be here in 3-5 business days.”

“That was quick.” Shiro looked around and suddenly frowned. “Did you lock Lance in the bathroom again?”

They nodded eagerly. “I swear it gets easier every time. Oh and nice picture, Hunk. That’ll be one I’ll use all the time now.”

“No problem, buddy.” The big guy scooted to the side, subtly trying to get away from Shiro’s gaze.

“What picture?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“Uhhhh….” Now it was Hunk’s turn to be the stammering one.

“Actually, I don’t want to know.” Shiro waved his hand and Hunk breathed a sigh of relief. Keith chuckled again. Honestly, when was the last time he laughed this much in such a short amount of time?

Shiro strode over to Pidge and gave them a look that made them immediately retreat behind Hunk. Despite coming through on their promise, it still looked like they were in trouble. Shiro pulled away the chair and opened the door.

Lance must have been leaning on it with his full weight because the guy came tumbling out of the bathroom. Like literally tumbling. He fell it to a weird looking somersault and made one complete roll before sprawling out on the floor, all his limbs spread out making him look incredibly gangly.

Keith couldn’t help it, he laughed. He laughed and laughed, so hard that his side started to hurt and there were tears at the corner of his eyes. And he wasn’t alone. Pidge was in the same state of disarray, gripping onto Hunk’s arm to stay standing. Allura looked concerned while Shiro was holding back a small smile.

It took a while for Keith to calm down and when he did, he had a very angry musician staring at him from his spot on the ground. Keith was startled by the look at first, the pure loathing just oozing off the guy and getting him lost in its wake. What the hell was his problem? Keith racked his brain but nothing in the time they met till now was cause enough for Lance to hate him so much. And Keith wasn’t just exaggerating; this guy actually looked like he hated him.

 _So much for Lance McClain being a fan of mine._ He thought solemnly. Every image he had of Lance was shattered and this clumsy, grumpy asshole took its place.

Keith smoothed his features, putting on that blank look he developed when dealing with assholes. He couldn’t help but smirk a little when Lance stood, his hair sticking up in a funny way after his fall. Lance crossed his arms and shuffled over to Pidge, eyeing them.

“I wish I could say sorry, but that was some of the funniest shit I’ve seen all day.” They wiped a tear from the corner of their eye.

Lance grumbled something but it was too quiet for Keith to hear. Shiro took over, turning to Keith and Allura. “So then, I guess that’s it for now. We’ll meet here at 6 on Monday?”

“Yes. Bright and early.” She answered a little too quickly.

“Alright then. I guess I’ll- I mean… _we’ll_ see you then?” Shiro was so in over his head.

“Yes. See you on Monday.”

Keith was impressed by his friend. So composed and calm while talking to her crush. Shiro could really use some pointers. Keith then did a double take. He might have spoken too soon as her cheeks began growing pinker by the second. He looped his arm around hers and began pulling her to the door.

“Later.” he called over his shoulder, giving a curt wave with his free hand. Everyone else responded to his call, but one voice was noticeably absent. Keith pulled open the door and held it for Allura, sparing a glance at the band. Shiro was still blushing, Pidge and Hunk were still grinning but Lance? Lance was already walking away. Keith started for a moment longer, wondering what he could have done to upset the guy. He followed Allura out into the bright daylight and tried not to think too deeply about it.

Keith pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was still pretty early in the day but he was exhausted. Allura pulled her keys out of her purse and walked over to her car.

Keith slowed. “I think I’m going to take the train home.”

“Really?” Allura’s eyes narrowed, looking slightly concerned. “Are you sure? It would be much faster if I drove you.”

“I know, I just haven’t been here in a while.” Keith looked over his shoulder at the city. The buildings popping out of the ground like trees, their shadows creeping up on him. He looked back at Allura who still had a frown on her face. “It’s only like, 20 minutes to the train station.” He tried to be reassuring.

Allura opened her mouth but closed it quickly; unsure of what she should say. Finally she sighed, her shoulder dropping a tiny bit. “Fine, but text me when you get home. We can’t have you getting lost in the city right after you get back.”

“Yeah sure, _mom_.” Keith spun on his heel and smirked.

“Don’t take me as some sweet little girl, Keith Kogane. I will run you over.” Her empty threat just made him smile more. He decided to throw in one more little jab while she was still in ear shot.

“Ooo, I don’t think Shiro would approve of his new girlfriend being a felon.”

“Ke-Keith!” Allura’s face drained of all color only to be replaced with bright red. Keith took off down the sidewalk, not waiting a second to see if she would come through on her threat. Judging by the look on her face when he ran it was actually a possibility now.

Keith ran and ran, practically diving head first in to the hustle and bustle of the city. Voltron’s studio was just on the edge, literally a block away from the first in a long line of office buildings. Once he was approaching his first skyscraper; Keith felt safe enough to slow down.

It was way too easy to make fun of Allura. And also way too much fun. She dished it out just as often as he did, so he wasn’t really worried that she was actually mad. Although he’d now signed himself up for some serious revenge from his diabolical best friend. Now that he thought about it, Pidge and Allura were a lot alike. Only she managed to remain undetectable with her innocent little smile while Pidge practically broadcasted that they were a little shit. It certainly was going to be an interesting week.

Walking in the shade meant that it was ten times colder. Keith shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket, the CD case Shiro gave him taking up most of the space. Suddenly, he got the urge to listen to the song again. If only Shiro had put it on his iPod instead of making a stupid CD. Really, who uses CD’s anymore?

Keith filed into the lunchtime crowd, a whole herd of men and women in business suits on the prowl for something quick to fill their bellies. He stood out like a sore thumb and not in a good way. Granted, he probably still smelled like that crowded little airplane he was on for 14 hours. At least that covered up the perfume stank of that girl. The model he had to work with was super young and super clueless. She latched onto him before and after the job and by some horrible stroke of fate was also on his plane ride home. She clearly was new to this world and didn’t get the memo about his sexuality.

After unloading his small suitcase at home, he headed over to Allura’s for breakfast and some down time. However he spent most of that time sleeping on her couch right up until they had to leave. Oh the glamourous life of a working model.

A big store front had pictures of him hanging in their window. He passed them quickly even though there was no chance of anyone recognizing him. It was hard work to stay this incognito but well worth it.

A little ways down was a drug store and Keith ducked in to see if they had any portable CD players. It was a long shot, but it was an hour and a half train ride to his side of the city and he was itching to hear the song again.

Keith popped in, nodding to the chipper cashier behind the counter. In the tiny electronic section, at the very bottom underneath the batteries were the out dated little devices. Keith snatched it up; making a face at the dust that had piled on the package. After grabbing some snacks for home and getting a little flustered at the cute cashier, Keith began his trek to the train station.

The crowd was thinning, the lunch hour coming to a close. When he finally made it up the platform there were hardly any people waiting. Keith tore open the CD player and popped in the single. That same rush of energy he felt sitting in the booth hit him and again and he already couldn’t wait to hit replay. It took three rounds of the song before the train finally showed up.

Not wanting to be disturbed, Keith took a seat near the back of the car. The barely crowed train car a perfect place to just zone out for a while. Due to the outdated shitty-ness of the CD player, Keith had to keep it balanced on his knee. Sitting perfectly flat otherwise it would skip.

An hour later, Keith realized that this was Lance singing. It didn’t really come as a shock or anything. He did know who the lead singer was after all. But when he’d listened to the song the first few times, he was still picturing the Lance McClain he’d seen in the media. The smiling, kind of charming dork of a man that just made you want to be around him. He was the kind of guy that… maybe….

The train ducked into a tunnel, startling Keith for a second. The CD player skipped, freezing for a little while. Keith turned it off and on again until it was working properly.

It sparked back to life and Keith was graced with Lance’s singing voice again. It was kind of tainted now. A whole new edge to it that Keith was making up in his frustrated mind. He thought back to the day’s events, however little they may have seemed at the time now exploded in his mind. The obvious distance Lance created between the two, the disappointment, the scowl. It all seemed stupid and petty and so terribly confusing that Keith wanted to bang his head against the wall.

And he was giving into the stupidity.

Really he should be the bigger person and not stoop to his level. He should be trying to work well with the _entire_ band, and not just the part that was sociable. But it the back of his mind, he settled on being just as terrible to Lance as he had been to him.

The train shuttered on, his stop next on the list.

 

* * *

 

A little while after they left, Lance excused himself. He ducked out the back door making up some lame excuse about not feeling well and took off towards the train station. His normal route took him right through the busy financial district. Luck was on his side all the sudden and he managed to just miss the insanity that was lunch hour.

That being said, he practically ran past the store that had pictures of Keith hanging in the window.

Lance didn’t like to think that he was this shallow. Really he thought he was a pretty nice and accepting kind of guy. But for some reason the realization that Keith was just your run of the mill, dirty hipster was just too much to bear. Maybe he was overreacting, maybe he should take the time and actually talk to Keith, or maybe he really was a nice guy and--

Yeah no, he was still mad.

Taking the steps two at a time, Lance made it on the platform with a few minutes to spare. An announcement over the loud speaker told them all that the next train would be there in 5 minutes. Lance looked around for a place to sit even though it was kind of pointless. He’d be getting up in a few minutes anyway. A pile of black clothing almost made him jump onto the train tracks.

Sitting on one of the few benches, his legs crossed underneath him was the bane of Lance’s existence. He quickly stepped back and hid behind an advertisement. Lance peeked around and stared. Keith hadn’t seen him. It looks like he was too busy listen too- oh god. He was listening to a CD player. Lance inwardly groaned. There was no way Keith was this lame in real life.

The train screeched onto the platform and everyone began to move. Keith disappeared into the car and for a moment, Lance wanted to follow him. It was a weird feeling considering the man was so different from what he had built up in his mind. But Lance’s rabid curiosity was getting the better of him. What kind of voodoo spell did Keith have to perform to be as attractive as he was in his photos? Did he like, sell his soul to Tyra Banks so that he could always look good in front of the camera? What was his secret?

Lance was about two seconds away from missing his train. At the last instant he lost his courage and ducked in to the car in front of Keith’s. He wasn’t about to get caught stalking him when he already wrote him off an hour ago.

20 minutes later and he was cruising up to his stop. He walked passed Keith’s car and saw him cozied up to the window with his eyes closed. The CD player balanced on his knee. Honestly the boy looked like the one passenger everyone avoids on public transit. The one who smells and might bite you if you get too close. Lance scowled as he walked by.

His apartment was a welcomed sight. All the disappointment from the day weighing down on him like a bag of wet garbage. As soon as he unlocked the door, the welcoming scent of home made everything else disappear. Lance hung up his jacket and kicked off his shoes before heading to his bedroom. He fell on his bed, face first and listened to his neighbors argue two floors below.

Lance flipped over to his back and his gaze immediately went over to the picture he had hanging on his wall. There was only one explanation for the ragamuffin he met today and the beauty in the picture he adored. Evil twins.

In his pocket, Lance’s phone buzzed interrupting his day dreams. It was Pidge. Lance groaned, really not wanting to deal with them right now.

Pidge: _Are you still pouting??_

Lance: _I’m not pouting._

Pidge: _Dude. I’ve known you forever. I know when you’re pouting_.

Lance didn’t answer. More like he couldn’t. He didn’t want to admit just how ridiculous he was acting right now.

Pidge: _Upset that Keith didn’t live up to your expectation?_

Pidge: _That’s kind of stupid, y’know._

Lance: _You’re kind of stupid._

Pidge: _Always so great with the comebacks._

Pidge: _Seriously though, be nice. Keith seems like a cool guy._

Lance: _Yeah, whatever._

Pidge: _You’re hopeless. See you tomorrow, you big baby._

With that, the conversation ended. Lance plugged in his phone and decided to order Chinese food for lunch. He deserved time to sulk. His crush turned out to be nothing special and that deserved a mourning period, right?

Right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance made a huge mistake and is trying to make up for it. The damage has already been done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL ART   
>  Thanks icarus-flied!

Wrong.

Very wrong as Lance would soon discover.

Two seconds into his weekend and he realized that Pidge was sugar coating it. He wasn’t pouting. He was being and incredible asshole.

Lance began pacing in his room again, going over the events of the day in agonizing detail. “What the _fuck_ was I thinking??” he muttered, running his hands through his hair.

He’d been horrible to Keith. Ignoring him, giving him dirty looks, that’s not who he was. He wasn’t this shallow. Why did he do that? Lance reached for his phone and pulled up Pidge’s number. If anything, they would help him fix this. They weren’t one to shy away from the truth when he needed it.

The phone rang a few times before they finally picked up. “Hello?”

“Pidge! I’m an idiot!” Lance said in a rush.

“I know. Hey, hang on a sec.” There was a muffled sound and then some voices before Pidge came back. “Sorry, I was playing Overwatch with Matt. I hope you know I was on a roll.”

“Pidge… what am I going to do?” guilt pooled in his belly, making him sink down to the floor. “I can’t believe I did that today. I can’t believe I’m this shallow…”

There was a long drawn out sigh from the other end that mirrored Lance’s mood. “You’re not shallow. Not usually, at least. You just made a big ole mistake and now have to deal with the consequences. It’s that simple.”

“But- but how?”

“Apologize? It’s not that hard. Just go up to Keith and say you’re sorry for being a jerk. That simple.”

But it wasn’t that simple for Lance. Whenever he made a mistake he usually tried it ignore it until it blew over. However this was far bigger than anything he pulled as a kid. This was worse than he imagined. He was downright cruel to another human being for no real reason.

If his mother had seen how he’d acted, she would have grounded him until he was at least 80. Even though he didn’t live at home anymore, she’d still find a way to lock him in his room and let him out only to eat and do chores. Mama McClain had that kind of power.

“Just talk to him on Monday, okay?” Pidge said after a few minutes. “And if you don’t apologize, I’ll just keep embarrassing you in front of him until you do.”

“… you wouldn’t.”

“Try me. See ya on Monday.”

“Y-yeah. See you.” Lance hung up and tossed his phone on the bed. He had exactly two days to find some courage and to figure out what to say. Lance cringed. He was going to have to come up with some great apology to make it up to Keith.

 

* * *

 

“It is too damn early for this…” Pidge was face down on the kitchen table, their usual mood severely dampened.

Hunk looked a little better, but he wasn’t much of a morning person either. He went over to the coffee maker and poured himself the last of the pot. “I kinda of agree with you.”

“Ughhhhhh…..” Pidge just melted into their set.

Lance was better at adapting then these two so waking up at 4 wasn’t really an issue. No, the thing that made him want to curl up in bed and never leave was the thought of seeing Keith again. Two days and the only thing he could think to say was _sorry for being a dick_. It wasn’t the eloquent string of words he’d come up with, but it was the only thing he could think to say. So much for being a brilliant song writer.

Shiro had disappeared into the warehouse, a whole team of people from the studio getting ready for the days shoot. Finishing touches were being put on the set, cameras were unpacked and ready to roll, and a small team of makeup artists were ready to make them all beautiful.

At that moment, Keith and Allura walked in the door. Both of them seemed to be handling the morning well. Allura was a goddess, floating in wearing pink leggings underneath a pretty blue sundress. She had turned something that was only meant summer in to a winter outfit by simply adding a few layers. Lance could feel his cheeks get warm as she slipped off her scarf.

Lance glanced at Keith, his eyes linger for a few seconds. Okay so he didn’t look like his pictures, but was that really so bad? By normal human standards, he was actually kind of good looking. In a weird, slightly rough looking way. It was stupid to hold him to such a high standard when in reality, he was just a young man like Lance himself.

The only thing he did get right yesterday was the fact that Keith’’s hair was kind of mullet-eques. Still, it wasn’t as bad as he initially thought. It suited him.

“Good morning all.” Allura beamed. “Where’s Shiro?”

“He’s in the warehouse.” Hunk answered her, his smile hinting at something Lance was oblivious too. “The studio uses the space to shoot videos. We’ll lead you guys over. C’mon Pidge.”

 It took more than just one person to convince them to get up. They were half asleep on the table with a big red mark on their forehead. Lance snickered as they walked past. When he looked up Keith had half a smile on his face too. For a brief moment the two of them made eye contact. The smile Keith wore twisted into a little smirk and it sent him reeling. There was something brewing behind those storm colored eyes that just made Lance feel on edge. Something kind of aggressive and overwhelmingly confident. It was almost like a challenge.

Lance was thrown. He wanted to apologize, wanted to reach out and make amends for being a dick, but it looks like the damage had already been done. Lance slowed, letting everyone go ahead of him.

 _Dammit. How am I going to say I’m sorry now? He hates me…_ He thought with a grimace. This was going to be infinitely harder then he originally thought. 

The five of them exited through the entrance and walked around the parking lot. Big white vans were all clustered around the loading dock, people he didn’t know filing in and out. Lance hoped that one of those vans was carrying food.

Inside was much less chaos then one might expect. Sure there were people running around here and there, shouting every once and a while, but it was a much smaller crew than usual video shoot. Despite the talent they had managed to snag, Voltron was still just starting. They didn’t have the resources to hire hundreds of people.

Shiro was leaning against a small table, the makeup artists finishing up unloading their supplies behind him. Next to him was Coran, twisting his mustache between his fingers. They were talking pretty fast, excited looks plastered on both their faces. As soon as Shiro saw them, his eyes instantly went to Allura.

Lance rolled his eyes and was finally able to catch on. Welp, there goes any chance he had with her.

“Morning!” he sounded way too chipper. Like borderline crazy. Allura didn’t seem to notice and she just smiled in return. Pidge stepped forward, all the fierceness they could muster in their sleepy state shove into their words.

“Why am I awake right now, Shiro?”

Shiro’s smile turned from something sweet to something kind of mischievous. “Oh c’mon Pidge, I thought you’d like getting to see all the behind the scenes stuff. You’re always asking the crew members about their gear.”

“Well yeah but that’s not- wait a second. Are we even filming today?!”

“Of course you are. I have you guys scheduled for 1.”

“SHIRO!”

Lance and Hunk were dying, clutching each other and wheezing. Sure Lance was a little annoyed that he’d be sitting around set all day, but that annoyance was nothing compared to Pidge’s outright fury. It probably took them 10 alarms to wake up today and now it felt like it was pointless. Pidge’s mouth flapped open a few more times, but they weren’t able to come up with any response. They spun around and stomped back to the door. Most likely off to take a nap in the studio.

After they had left, Shiro took the time to introduce Coran to Allura and Keith. The energetic director shook their hands wildly, making Allura giggle.

“Good to meet, good to meet you- now! Let’s get down to business, shall we? We have a lot to do and only a week to do it all.” Coran heaved a giant binder from seemingly out of nowhere. He dropped it on the table with a bang. “Now, Mr. Kogane-“

“Keith is fine.” He politely interrupted.

“- alright then. Keith. Let me take you through the video.”

Keith sat down with Coran and Shiro, flipping thought the binder and running over their ideas. Lance slouched down into a chair in front of an empty makeup station. He watched Keith in the mirror closely for a reaction. It was a hilarious fact that Coran’s story boards were nothing more that stick figures and various scribbles in different markers. He may not have been artistic with traditional means, but he had a vision that made all of their videos look like moving works of art. It was a weird talent he had.

After staring for an inappropriate amount of time, Lance was interrupted.

“And how are you today, Lance?” Allura had wondered over to the station, setting down her bag and slowly unpacking it.

“Huh? Oh- I’m good. Better then Pidge anyway.” He pulled out his phone and tried to look like he wasn’t just caught staring.

“Not much of a morning person, are they?”

“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’, earning a grin from her. “They’re definitely a night owl. If we could do this at midnight, they’d be a completely different person.”

“I’d wager your right about that.” Lance liked talking to Allura. There was something kind of magical about her. Something otherworldly. Maybe it had to do with the mystery of where she was from. The way she spoke and her manners just screamed high breeding. It made him wonder how she ever became Keith’s friend in the first place. Maybe if he knew more about him, Lance would have an easier time talking to him.

“Hey Allura? Can I ask you something?” he put away his phone, putting all his attention on her. She nodded and turned to him. “How did you become friends with with Keith?”

Allura crossed her arms and bit her lip, thoughts visibly running across her face. “Hmm well, I guess it all started about two years ago. Keith was hired on last minute for a shoot I was helping with. My friend was the creative director and had both of her makeup artist call out last minute. I had twelve models to work on that day and virtually no help. That was until Keith arrived.” She smiled at the memory, her expression soft. “He’ll be the first to tell you that he isn’t very good with taking direction, but he was able recreate the looks I was doing on the other half of the models. He picks up on things incredibly quickly. Keith helped me immensely that day and we kept in touch afterwards. Things just kind of grew from there.”

 _Dammit._ Lance thought. _Keith is a really nice guy._ This just added to his guilt. Piled on the mountain of stupidity that seemed to be growing since Friday. Keith was nice and Lance was an ass. Awesome.

Also, learning that Keith was apparently good at applying makeup made him sound- cool for some reason? Why was that cool? It should make him less cool if anything. Granted that wasn’t a skill as impressive as Lance ability to crush everyone at Mario Party, no matter which version it was. It just added another layer to the guy that hated him. Though, that was for good reason.

Lance glanced up at Keith in the mirror’s reflection. He could see it now. He could see the model that he’d been pinning after for the better part of four years. He could see it in those eyes, so focused and oddly colored. Even in person, it was still hard to pin down the color. Storm colored was the only thing that really came to mind.

Keith didn’t look like his photos, but there were a million reasons for that. Computers being the main culprit. As Lance continued to watch Keith in the mirrors reflection he began to wonder. Why the hell would you want to change a guy like that. He was… the real Keith was…

He was coming over.

The conversation at the table seems to have ended and Keith was walking over to them.

“Time to get ready?” Allura asked as soon as he was near.

“Yeah.” Keith dragged a chair to the station next to him. Lance played with the end of his sweatshirt, his face on fire. There was no time to escape, and no reason too. This was it. This was his chance to say something, anything to make up for his actions from the other day. But then he remembered, Keith hated him. “You look like shit this morning.” The disgruntled model sighed.

Lance’s cheeks flared. Allura didn’t hear the insult as she was busy chatting away with Shiro all the sudden. If she had been there, Lance imagined Keith wouldn’t have been so forward.

He stuttered for a second, reeling from the verbal confirmation that Keith didn’t like him. “Oh yeah? Well… you… you look like shit all the time.”  

Lance was mortified. _WHY THE HELL DID I SAY THAT?_ He was supposed to be saying something nice, even agreeing with Keith would have better than insulting him again. Lance was praying that the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

“That took you a while. Not so good thinking on your feet, are you?” Keith unzipped his jacket, letting it fall on the back of the chair. Lance’s mouth dropped into a frown as he sunk lower into the chair, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in his chest. Keith glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. “What’s your problem with me, anyway?”

Lance stiffened. “Pr-problem? Who says I have a problem?”

“You basically did. You didn’t say a word to me the other day.” Keith had that look again. That intense stare that made Lance feel like he was a helpless deer in the cross hairs. “So? What is it?”

There wasn’t anything. Yeah he had a reason when they first met, but that was stupid and shallow and just not true anymore. What the hell was he supposed to say? Lance was quiet for too long, making Keith sigh and sink in his chair. He didn’t dare look at him.

“Let me guess, I didn’t met your expectations, did I?”

“Huh?”

“Not too hard to figure out.” Keith shrugged like it was no big deal. But it was. It really was. “Not the first time, and it won’t be the last. You do realize that they Photoshop the hell out of those magazine pictures?”

“Well… yeah I- I know that…”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a jerk.”

 “Well… well,” Lance winced at the insult. It was exactly what had been keeping him awake the entire weekend. This was bad. Very very bad. He need to do it now. He needed to say something to make this right. “Well- well maybe they should’ve photo shopped your personality too.”

_Fuck._

Keith glared at him. His features settling into a hard line. Lance felt like he was going to explode. That wasn’t anywhere near what he wanted to say. He stuttered, his tongue flapping uselessly around his mouth.

“Tha-that wasn’t… I d-didn’t...!”

Hunk must have seen something brewing between the two or maybe it was just dumb luck, but right before Keith was about to retaliate, Hunk squeezed a chair in-between the two. He practically lifted up Lance, chair and all to make room for himself.

“So what are you guys talking about?” he asked cheerfully.

“Nothing.” They answered simultaneously. Hunk looked back and forth between the two a little confused. Lance turned away quickly and hoped that the warmth he felt on his cheeks wasn’t visible. Keith had done pretty much the same but at least he had something to distract himself. He leaned over and grabbed Allura’s bag. After digging around for a few minutes he pulled out a bright yellow head band and used it to push back his bangs.

Lance thought he might hurl with all the somersaults his stomach was doing. He was sure it was from embarrassment and from shame. He royally fucked up again.

“So Lance,” Hunk was a godsend, filling in the silence and blocking Keith with his big shoulders. “How’s that new song coming?  Do you think you’ll get it done on time?”

“Honestly, probably not.” That was another thing he was stressing over during the weekend. He hadn’t even worked on it since the day he brought his dad’s guitar with him to the studio. There was something he just couldn’t figure out. He hadn’t even bothered thinking up lyrics yet; he was still too stuck on the melody to get that far. There was just something blocking him from working out the right cords. Something that wasn’t letting him express this feeling.

And all this hostility that he had cause with Keith wasn’t helping.

“Well it’s not like we need it.” Hunk shrugged, trying to be reassuring. “The album works as it is.”

“I know- I know it’s just,” he leaned his head back and let out a long sigh. “It’s like itching at the back of my head, y’know. I know there’s something in there—a song or a melody at least. But I just can’t make it out. I can’t really hear what it’s supposed to sound like, but I know it’s there. Does that make sense?”

“Not really, buddy.”

“It stupid. And frustrating. It’s stupidly frustrating.” Hunk patted him on the shoulder even though he really didn’t understand. Lance looked up and grinned at him, thankful for the gesture. Behind Hunk’s massive shoulders, Lance caught a peek of Keith staring at him from the corner of his eyes.

There was a something in that look. Something Lance couldn’t put his finger on. One thing he was sure of,  was that it wasn’t full of the same anger he’d seen a little while ago. Did this mean that he hadn’t blown it? Did Lance still have a shot to make this right?

 

* * *

 

Shortly after Allura started on his makeup, Lance and Hunk got up and left. The catering table had finally been unveiled and both boys were clamoring over each other to get there first. Keith watched Lance go, confused at whatever had just happened between the two of them.  

So it turns out that Lance McClain was a little shallow. And also a little bit of an idiot. It shouldn't have hit him this hard, but it did. Keith slowly realized that Lance wasn't living up to his expectations either, but at least his weren’t based on something so superficial as looks.

When he woke up this morning, he was determined to call Lance out. To make him face Keith head on and make it clear that neither of them were going to be friends after this. But as soon as he walked in, Lance was like a completely different person. He looked like a puppy that had been left out in the rain. Wide eyes, and shaking. It looked like the beginning of remorse, but Keith wasn’t giving in to it. Not after Friday.

But then when Keith sat down next to him, Lance didn’t get up. The singer was pale and hunched over, like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. For the briefest moment, Keith thought that maybe Lance was feeling guilty. But he was still a little too pissed to let him off easy.

So Keith confronted him. Told him he knew exactly why Lance had acted the way he did. And in-between Lance stuttering like a fool, he had insulted him. However, the aghast look on his face afterwards made him think that Lance hadn’t really meant it. Before Hunk showed up, he was pretty sure Lance was trying to work his way to an apology.

Then he ran off to eat. So yeah, he was an idiot. 

They were the same age but it seemed like Keith was miles ahead when it came to maturity. Lance was still stuck in adolescences. 

Keith immediately began to bury that conversation in the back of his mind. He buried it and piled all the other crap he’s been ignoring on top of it. The perfect little junk pile of stupid.

He said it once and he’d say it again: this wasn’t going to get to him. This wasn’t going to affect him.

Another funny thing that Keith had notice when Hunk showed up was the change that had overcome Lance. A whole different side from that stand offish jerk and that blundering idiot. Sure that side wasn’t for Keith, but it still managed to confuse the hell out of him. All the sudden he looked like the deep thoughtful songwriter that Keith pegged him to be years ago.

If anything, Keith always envied people who could play instruments and dream up songs. All his life he wanted to learn more about music, but none of the families he lived with had the patience to listen to that request. They just made sure he had the bare minimum to survive. They didn’t really care if wanted more.

Back when he first discovered Voltron, it blew his mind that one person was responsible for all that amazing music. One person was talented enough to dream it, and stubborn enough to work on it until they fashioned it into something great. It was something he could never wrap his head around. The pure talent and drive it took to achieve that.

Modeling took a different kind of drive and a skin so tough it would shatter diamonds. He was kind of forced into this world, after a couple that’d been fostering him realized that they could make some money off his natural talent in front of the camera. Pushed or not, he ended up actually liking the job. He liked pretending to be something different. He liked the people he was surrounded by. He liked the whole idea of it. When he finally aged out of the system and got away from those horrible people, he really started living. And the soundtrack to that first big trip across the world was Voltron.

Meeting Lance and the rest of the band had always been on the back of his mind, and when they contacted him to work with them it was like a dream come true. But now things were different. Lance may have been a musical genius, but other than that he sure as hell wasn’t the type of guy Keith thought he was.

And even though there was a slim possibility that Lance regretted his actions, he still wasn’t really ready to forgive him.   

Keith watched as Allura made the dark circles under his eyes disappear. She evened out his skin tone, covered up the scar on his chin he got when he was a kid and managed to make it all look natural. In a matter of minutes he looked awake and refreshed, all with a few waves of Allura’s magic brush.

She plucked the headband from his hair and ruffle up his bangs. “Now what are we going to do about your hair…” she grumbled.

Keith swatter her away playfully. “C’mon, it’s not that bad.”

“Says the boy who doesn’t own a brush.”

“That’s what hands are for.” As if to demonstrate, he ran his hands thought his hair. He got caught in tangles more than once.

Allura sighed and reached into her magical bag once again, pulling out a brush. She worked through the tangles one at a time. “So, I saw that you and Lance were finally talking.”

Keith winced, partly from the memory and also from a particularly rough knot. “Uh yeah. We- talked…”

“I think he’s rather sweet, don’t you?”

“That’s not the word I’d use.”

“Oh? And what word is that?”

“Asshole.”

“Keith!” she wacked him in the head with the flat side of the brush.

“OW! What?! It’s true!”

She cut him off with another swift hit. “That’s not something you should say about someone you hardly know.”

“I don’t need to know any more. I’m good, thanks.” He crossed his arms and stared at the floor.

“Keith…?” her voice was soft all the sudden. Uh oh Keith thought. Did he give something away? “Are you alright? You seem a little down. ”

He risked a peek. She was staring at him in the mirror, her reflection showing just how concerned she sounded. Keith didn’t want her involved in whatever emotional constipation he was feeling. He just wanted to pretend that it didn’t exist. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just—tired is all.”

Allura’s head tilted to the side. “Tired?” she didn’t believe him for one second. Keith nodded, afraid to actually say anything. He looked away when he realized that she was disappointed in him for not telling the truth.

Once she managed to make his hair look presentable, Allura scooted him out of the chair with a smile. He was scooped up the stylists who had him try on twelve different shirts before settling on one. Then they took another 10 minutes trying to decide if the flannel they tied around his waist was necessary. Apparently it was. Throw on a pair of designer jeans that look almost exactly like the cheap ones was wearing and he was all set to go.

Keith took a quick look at himself in the mirror and decided he looked like he was back in high school. It fit for what they were doing.

He made his way to the first scene they were going to shoot. Part of the large floor space of the warehouse had been converted into a small three walled bedroom. Cameras and people were standing around it while one or two people were still inside making sure it looked messy enough to be believable.

Coran seemed to have sensed Keith was near. The man hopped off of his chair and greeted him with all the enthusiasm of a child.

“Ready to go then?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Alright, remember your character and the story we’re trying to tell.”

Keith nodded; his nerves and excitement beginning to stir. One loud shout from Coran’s assistant cleared the bedroom set. Keith hopped inside and immediately began to imagine that this was his room. That this was his story they were telling. Honestly, it wasn’t too hard to pretend this time around.

“Alright, quiet everyone! Cue play back aanndd…. action!”

 

The story Coran had dreamed up went a little something like this:

A young man is standing at a cross road in his life. He’s struggling with what the world thinks he should be. His parents want his to go to college, the girl in his class wants him to be straight, his friends want him to be cool. The young man is torn between wanting to please everyone and being himself. There’s a lot of angsty shots of Keith in the bedroom; staring that the trophies and photos that are supposed to mean something to him. Lots of him looking into the camera and trying to convey something to the audience.

Line’s from the song kept popping out at him.

_Scribbling self-portraits on the mirror in the dark._

_Funny when you don’t know who you are._

Coran kept giving him emotions to act out. Sorrow, fear, desperation, uncertainty. All things that were pretty ease to express, having been an angsty teen himself. Thank god he grew out of that phase.

The story did take a lighter turn of course. The young man finds a friend who is just as lost as him. They help him find the right path and give him the support he so desperately needs. Since he was the lead singer and (by Shiro’s account) the only one that liked to act in their videos, that role went to Lance. Luckily they didn’t have to do anything like that today so Keith had time to mentally prepare himself. That stuff would happen over the next few days. In between going to other locations and getting shots they needed with the entire band. 

Two hours rolled by while Keith was trying to fit in all this fictional kids problems in to a few short takes. Coran was ecstatic at his performance. When he finally announced that they were done, he beamed at Keith.

“That was perfect! Really it was. You nailed everything.”

“Th-thanks.” Keith started to feel a little embarrassed. He never really handled praise well.

“Time for you to get some lunch and relax. We’ve got some scenes to do with the band now and then you get to come back and destroy the set.”

Oh yeah, that’s going to be fun. One of Coran’s ideas was to have the character completely trash his bedroom. Full out crazy demolition. Keith remembered his description of the scene and the messy colored lines of the story boards he got to leaf through. He couldn’t wait to jump in and start tearing the place apart.

He quickly changed out of his wardrobe, handing his stuff over to the stylists for them to keep a hold of while he grubbed down on some food.  Keith looked around for Allura, hoping that she hadn’t eaten yet. He found her hovering near the monitors with Shiro, probably rewatching the scenes he’d just filmed. The two of them were blushing like crazy but still seemed oblivious that they were on the same page. Keith rolled his eyes.

Not wanting to intrude, he went over to the catering table without her. Pidge had reappeared and looked surprisingly awake all the sudden. Keith realized that one of the makeup artist must have gotten a hold of them because they seemed just as grumpy as they were this morning. Hunk was talking to a pretty girl who had an empty tray in her hands. From the look of things, he was pretty smitten too.

Dear god, was everyone in this band completely oblivious?

Hunk noticed him coming over and waved. “Hey! All done?”

“Yeah, for now.”

“Nice. Oh Keith, this is my friend Shay,” the girl next to him stood up a little straighter. “Shay this is Keith. He’s the guy staring in our video.”

Shay held out her hand. “It is very nice to meet you. Hunk has told me many kind things about you.”

Keith took her hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you too. So how do you two know each other?” They must have talked often if Hunk has already told her about him. After all, he only met Hunk recently.

“My family and Hunk’s have known each other for quiet sometime.”

“Yeah, Shay’s parents owned a restaurant across the street from my parent’s store. They closed a while back, but started a catering business a few years ago. Since then, we’ve been hiring them to cater all the stuff we do in town.”

“Yes, it has been quiet fun seeing all the things Hunk and the others have done in the past year. To think I use to sit and listen to them play all night long, before they were famous.” Shay scooted closer to Hunk, beaming at him. Keith wasn’t too sure if she even realized she was doing it.

“Aww, we’re not famous…” he turned bright red. Keith began to back away towards the food, letting the two of them continue to blindly flirt.

Once he stacked his plate full of food, he plopped down at a table next to Pidge. They still had half a sandwich on their plate.

“Feeling better?” Keith decided to attempt a conversation.

“Meh.” They shrugged. “The two hour nap was nice, but now I’m bored. There’s nothing to do except wait.”

Keith was used to the waiting. Sometime he’d be sitting on set for hours before he even got into hair and makeup. “I don’t mind it.”

“Weirdo. Oh look who’s back.” Pidge sat up. They we’re focused on something behind Keith’s shoulder. When he turned to see who it was, he immediately went back to his food. Lance came up to the table hanging up his phone with a sigh. He pulled out a chair for himself.

It the two seconds it took for Lance to sit down, something (or really someone) kicked the chair out from under him. Lance shrieked as he fell, a weird sound that made him think of a wailing kitten. In one last ditch effort, he grasped onto the edge of the table to try and stay standing. But it was useless. He landed hard on his ass.

Keith was stunned for a second. Stunned and confused. That was until he realized that Pidge had kicked Lance’s chair from underneath the table. They were truly a terror, laughing wildly and taking a video on their phone. It took .05 seconds for Keith to join in. He choked on his sandwich, laughing and coughing until he ran out of breath. He leaned back to take a breath and realized that Pidge had turned the phone on him.

“So Keith, how is it working with Voltron?” they asked in a mock reporter voice. It was kind of ruined by all the giggles.

Keith still couldn’t stop laughing. He tried and failed to come up with some witty response and ended up face down on the table wheezing. 

“I think that sums it up.” Pidge chirped. They put down their phone and began typing away. “Keith, you mind if I upload that?”

He shook his head, finally beginning to breathe normally. “Go ahead. That- that honestly made my day.” He coughed.

“Mine too. Now I’m not so bored.”

“What about meeee?” Lance groaned from his place on the ground. “My ass hurts…”

“Not as much as your pride, I think. Remember what I told you? This is just the start.”

Lance popped up and leered at Pidge. A look marred by a his very red face. Keith stifled another laugh by shoving a grape in his mouth.

“Please don’t put that on Instagram.” He grumbled.

“Uh oh, too late.” Pidge opened up the app and slide the phone over to Keith. Lance made a grab for it, lunging across the table with his long arms. Keith snatched it up and scooted away, watching Lance fall all over again on the little screen.

“What’s with that sound you made?” he chuckled, moving further away from Lance’s reach. This was absolutely perfect. It was like Pidge knew he wanted to get back at Lance. “You sound like a dying car.”

“Gimmie the phone!” Lance jumped up and began circling to Keith’s side of the table. He jumped up too, narrowly avoiding being tackled by the gangly mass of limbs. He seemed to be much quicker on his feet than Lance.

“I am so going to share this…” Keith tossed Pidge back their phone and pulled out his own, opening up the app.

“Don’t do that!?” Lance screeched. “You have 1.2 million followers! Then everyone is going to see me fall on my ass!”

“How do you even know that?” Keith ask, genuinely surprised. He didn’t pay much attention to his own Instagram. Usually Allura was the one who posted pictures from him. This explained the frequency of her showing up in his posts. The fury Lance displayed nearly disappeared. It was like someone dumped a bucket of water on flickering flame. Lance’s cheeks were getting red as he stuttered to say something.

Pidge leaned back in their seat and looked up at Keith. “Oh yeah, you probably don’t know this, but Lance’s main hobby is stalking you on social media. You should see his camera roll.”

The funny whirl of feelings Keith had yesterday began stir again and heat rose to his cheeks. He stomped down on those feelings immediately. Lance could have his photo plastered on his wall and it still wouldn’t make up for being a dick earlier. Keith smirked at the obvious flustered look on Lance’s face.

“Funny. Cuz last I heard, I wasn’t much to look at.”

“I- I never said that! And Pidge is totally lying. I’m not lame enough to have your face on my phone.”

Once again Pidge swooped in with blackmail. “He had you as his lock screen for 6 months.”

“PIDGE.”

Keith was watching, delighted at the embarrassing turn of events. This might have been better revenge than even he was capable of. While Lance was still fuming, Keith shared the video to his 1.2 million followers. He made sure to tag Lance so that everyone would know who the dork was.

Lance suddenly stopped and looked down at his phone. It was still in his hand from whatever conversation he’d been having. He must have gotten the notification from Keith’s tag. His eyes narrowed.

“I’m going murder you.” He deadpanned.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Keith and Lance stared each other down like two rivals about to face off in a death match. Actually, that is exactly what was happening. All the hostility that had been brewing between them in the last six hours was finally coming to a head. Keith was oh so ready to knock some sense into the other boy’s stupid head. Not that he was actually going to pound the crap out of him. More like he was going to prove that he could if he wanted to. He had a week until his contract expired and he didn’t want to cause any actually harm until then.

All the sudden, Lance zipped around the table and tackled him. “Delete the post!” he screeched.

Keith had barely managed to stay standing and held his phone away from the whiney dork. “H-hey! Get off of me!”

Lance was reaching for the phone, trying to pull Keith’s arm closer to him. Keith took the offensive and shoved him off, holding him away at an arm’s length. This didn’t stop him though as Lance began swiping at Keith. Every attempt ended up with him whacking the other boy on the head in a vain attempt to get the phone.

“DELETE IT.” He shouted.

“GET OFF.”

“Delete it and I’ll get off!”

“Get off and I won’t punch you in the face!” Keith elbowed Lance in the gut. All the air was knocked out of him. He staggered back, anger contorting his features.

Lance kicked Keith in the back on the knee, causing him to fall. He landed with a grunt, a slew of curse words already forming in his mind. The phone flew out of his hand and slid to the opposite side of the catering table. Lance spotted it and a cocky grin began to spread across his face. Before he could make a move, Keith grabbed onto his leg and pulled him down to the ground.

It quickly went from a real fight to a weird race across the floor to the phone.

Pidge’s howling laugher was the only other thing Keith could here above Lance’s various shrieks. They were probably filming this entire thing. So much for trying not to embarrass himself.

Lance had somehow wiggled his arms around his waist and was physically trying to pull Keith away from the phone. Keith tried to shove him off but the guy was wrapped on to him like a python. He shoved his face, hit his arms and even managed to kick Lance in the shins once. But the musician would not budge. Keith kicked at the ground, trying to move forward with the extra weight pulling him back. He was almost there… his hand outstretched and his fingers grazing the corner… just a little bit more.

A pair of shoes appeared in front of them. A hand swooped down and picked up the phone.

“What the hell?!” Lance untangled himself from Keith and roughly shoved him. “I almost had it!”

“You almost had it?? You we’re even close!” Keith pushed him back, scowling.

“I was closer than you, mullet head!”

“Pfft in your dreams, dumbass.”

“You’re the dumbass, _dumbass_!”

“At least I can come up with my own insults.”

“I-I can do that too! You –“

“ALRIGHT ENOUGH ALREADY.” Both Keith and Lance snapped their mouths shut. They two of them slowly slid out from under the table and came face to face with a very angry looking Shiro. Keith didn’t really know the man, but he was pretty sure that it took a lot to anger him. And somehow he had managed to do just that. With the help of Lance of course.

He glance at Lance from the corner of his eye and realized that he was looking at him too. They shared a brief feeling of oh shit before looking back up at Shiro. Keith was startled to realize that Shiro wasn’t angry at him. No, all this anger was directed at Lance. 

“Lance.” his voice reminded Keith of some of the foster dad’s he had. Incredibly firm and kind of terrifying. He had no idea that Shiro could flip into disappointed dad mode so fast. “What do you think you’re doing? Starting fights? Being rude to our guest? Do you realize what could have happened if one of you got hurt?”

“Shiro I -“

“I don’t want to hear it.” He held up his hand, a frustrated sigh slipping through his lips.

“Hey, it’s not all his fault.” Keith chimed in. “I was being just as stupid as him.”

Lance’s head whipped around. His jaw dropped and he looked at Keith like he had just turned purple or something. Keith ignored him and looked back up at Shiro with all the courage he earned throughout the years.

“Keith you don’t have to-“

“No I do. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

Shiro’s expression had gone through at least five different stages in the short time it took for Keith to speak. It went from angry, to disappointed, shocked, and then confused and now it was settling into something a little tired looking. He pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned.

Keith subtly elbowed Lance and glared at him. There was a huge question mark on his face until Keith motioned over to Shiro. “Oh! I’m- I’m sorry too, Shiro. Really. I’m sorry.”

That seemed to release some of the tension. Shiro looked down at the two and rolled his eyes. “Just- try not to kill each other again? Please? Keith’s agency would sue us if he so much as got a scratch.”

“Uh- right.”

Shiro handed Keith back his phone and waked away. He might have been wrong, but Keith could have sworn he saw a little smile on the corner of his lips. Then again, it might have been his imagination.

Lance and Keith brushed themselves off, both of them covered in dust and dirt from rolling around on the ground. Keith nearly ducked back underneath the table when he turned around and saw that everyone had stopped and watched them get scolded. The whole place was on pause for a few seconds longer before returning to their work.

Pidge was smirking at the two of them, standing on top of their chair. “I’m impressed. Even I can’t make Shiro that mad.”

Lance frowned but then suddenly a grin began creeping up on his face. “Y’know you’re right. But I bet I can change that. I seem to remember a certain prank you pulled freshman year…”

Pidge’s smug expression waivered, their eyes growing large.

“Shiro never did find out who sabotaged his first date with that girl. It was pretty embarrassing for him.”

“Don’t you dare.” They said through gritted teeth.

“Just remember Pidge, you’re not totally clean.”

Pidge hopped off of their chair and turned to leave. There was something dangerous brewing and Keith was sure that all Lance did was kick a hornet’s nest. But in all honesty, they didn’t look that mad. The way their shoulders were bouncing as they walk away made him wonder if they were laughing.

After Pidge left, Keith was left with no one except for Lance. It wasn’t a situation he wanted to be in, feeling a little strange after sticking up for him a few minutes ago. Especially since he was wrestling with him a while before that. Still, the whole thing had gotten out of hand and he was partially to blame.

He turned to Lance and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry that I tripped you and I think I hit you in the face and—sorry.”

Keith was mentally beating himself with a bat for that half assed apology. Lance didn’t seem to notice his embarrassment.

“Uh, I’m s-sorry too.” Keith watched Lance squirm. I was clear that he wasn’t too good at this sort of thing either. After starting and restarting the same sentence a few times, he was finally able to speak. “You didn’t have to do that y’know. Stick up for me or whatever. It kind of was my fault.”

“Oh yeah it definitely was. You started it.” He smirked at the expression on Lance’s face. “But I did goad you on. That– that wasn’t cool.”

It took a long time for Keith to be able to do things like this. For him to admit when he was wrong. Admit when he’d fucked up. For him to apologize. Years and years of blaming everyone else got him nowhere and probably would have ended his career before it even began. That didn’t mean that it was any easier, every time he’d found himself in a situation like this. He hated being the bigger person and really just wanted to let Lance get his ass handed to him.

But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t seem to let that happen.

Lance was quiet for a long time. Long enough that Keith thought their conversation was over. He began to head back to the table when a sound made him stop.

“I-“ Lance cleared his throat, his eyes plastered to the ground. “I- I just…”

“Just spit it out already.” Keith was getting impatient with him. Watching him chew on his bottom lip that was in no way kind of cute.

Lance’s brow furrowed. “I’m trying to apologize so stop being a dick.”

“You already apologized. And calling me a dick isn’t helping.”

“Not about that…” Was Lance blushing? Keith couldn’t really tell against his tanned skin, but he could have sworn there was a hint of pink on those cheeks. Lance took a deep breath and finally looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry I’m… that I was not… nice? Yeah, I wasn’t very nice the other day. And today too. I was, I guess you could say I was a uh-“

“A dick?”

“Yeah.”

Keith felt a feint feeling growing in his chest. It was a warm sensation, making him feel like he could brave the cold without a jacket. It was strange, it was new, and he had no idea what the hell it meant. But it seemed pretty clear that Lance was the cause.  

Lance held out his hand, his finger shaking ever so slightly. “So, do over?”

“Do… over?”

“Yeah. Like this: Hi, I’m Lance. The genius behind the band.” There was the biggest, cheesiest grin on his face the kind of made Keith kind of want to slap him. In a ‘your too cute to being doing that’ sort of way. Or in a more violent way. He wasn’t really sure which one it was.

It took a few moments, but Keith eventually caught on and rolled his eyes. He grabbed Lance’s hand and shook it. “Keith. And if this were accurate, Pidge would probably say something to embarrass you by now.”

“Pfft, I can handle them.”

“Oh really? Hey, can I borrow your phone?” Keith asked, a plan already forming in his mind. Lance reached into his pocket and handed it to him with a grin.

“Wait, what’s wrong with your phone?”

“Huh? Oh nothing.” Keith began walking away, Lance’s phone in his hand. “I just wanted to see if Pidge was telling the trut- holy shit. You do have a lot of pictures of me.”

“K-Keith!” Lance was definitely blushing now, his eyes wide. “Give me back my phone!”

“You really should have a password on this or something.”

“S-stop looking!”

“Dude, I don’t know if I should be flattered or creeped out.” Keith began walking away faster, Lance speeding up behind.

“Keith if you don’t give me back my phone-“

“Calm down. I’m not about start another game of keep away.” Keith tossed it back, his goal already having been achieved. Lance near dropped it, the device bouncing in his hands. “I don’t want Shiro to yell at us again.”

“Yeah.” Lance was still pretty red, but most that had been replaced by surprise. “And for the record, I’m not like, obsessed with you or anything.”

“Your camera roll kind of contradicts that. But- if you’re really embarrassed about that…” Keith bit his lip really wondering why on earth he was about to say this. “I- I might have all of your albums. And when I mean all, I mean all.”

Lance cocked his head to the side, a sly grin working its way across his face. “All? Like all the stuff on iTunes or- omg. You have the CD’s don’t you?”

“Did you really just say ‘omg’?”

“You DO have our CD’s?! Which ones? All of them? You said all of them.”

Keith ran his hands over face and groaned. He really shouldn’t have said anything, but they were bonding and shit and, this was progress. “Well, your earlier stuff isn’t online and then it just looked weird not having all of them on my shelf…”

Lance was laughing, a sound Keith was sure he never hear while he was here. As cute as it could have been, it was tarnished by the fact that Lance was laughing at him. “So- so do like have our EP’s?”

“I’m going to finish my lunch, now.” Keith went back to the table where his food was still sitting. Why did he try to make Lance feel better? Why did he even care when the guy had been so rude a while ago? Whatever the reason, he didn’t quite like the tiny bit of embarrassing info Lance now had on him. 

“Hey-“ Lance reached out and grabbed him by the arm, a guilty look dragging down his features.  “I… I really am sorry. I- I’m am a…”

“A dick. Yeah, I know.” This time, he couldn’t stop the warm feeling from spreading. Lance’s apology was genuine, that’s something no one could miss. Keith finally started to feel like he’d met the real Lance. “And uh- I’ll delete that post if you want. I kind of just wanted to get back at you.”

“Nah, its fine.” He smiled wide. “It’s not the first time Pidge has posted me doing something embarrassing. But really, do you have our EP’s?”

“Oh my God, go away.” Keith pulled his arm out of Lance’s grasp and tried to hide his smile.

“Aw c’mon, tell me! It’s great meeting a fan.” He winked, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Keith nearly snorted. “I could say the same, but you’re dipping into the stalker category a bit.”

That knocked that grin right off his face. “I- I’m not a stalker!”

A wide smirk spread across Keith face. So maybe this wasn’t going to be a total drag. Maybe… just maybe… he might have some fun.

 

_Now I see I’m not the only one_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I wrote theses chapters together because i knew i didn't want to leave it at chapter 2 for long. So no, i don't have super human writing talents and didn't bust this out in one night, i planned for this lol. i hope i did an okay job dealing with all the mistakes and stuff these boys are dealing with! Honestly i can't wait to start getting into the more fluffy stuff, but sometimes it's better if you have to wade through the messy stuff first.  
> OKAY i'm rambling, thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that things have settled, Lance and Keith have the opportunity to actually get to know one another. And Lance just so happens to make a surprising discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: omg here is the [link](https://youtu.be/gWhjfRgKekY) for the song finally. I kept forgetting to add it. It is a different song from the comic. My own extremely random musical taste is going to come in here. Also there is no music video for this song. I made it up :) Enjoy!  
> 

So… did this mean they were friends now?

Lance went through the rest of the day in a zombie-like state. That question haunting him like a powerful hangover. He was too busy processing everything that had happened to really pay attention to what was going on. So first he accidently insulted Keith, the he was embarrassed by Pidge, then he got into an actual fight with the guy, got yelled at by Shiro and then became friends? That’s not how things usually worked.

The shoot ran longer than expected, due to the fact that both Keith and Lance had to get done up again by the makeup team after their scuffle. Allura did not seem happy when she got a hold of Keith again but that mood changed when Lance sat next to him and they made some idle conversation. Or really, subtle digs at each other that were only half serious. That for some reason, made her smile.

Keith left around 5, a prior commitment eating up at his limited time. Lance actually said good bye this time, but he was still confused.

Mainly because he couldn’t figure out why Keith had stuck up for him in the first place. Lance had seen Shiro pissed before and it was a whole different kind of scary. The quiet guy anger was unpredictable and he was ready (albeit terrified) to deal with it. But then, he didn’t have too. Keith made sure he didn’t have too.

Dammit. He was racking up the cool points really fast.

Lance hung around a bit, not quite ready to go home yet. After using two makeup wipes to get the stuff off his face, he wondered past Hunk and Pidge. The two of them were hovering around the monitors playing with one of the many cameras.

Hunk waved him over. “Hey, going home?”

“Nah, I was gonna see if I could snag any leftovers from Shay.”

“Don’t want to grocery shopping?”

“Absolutely not. And besides, I’m just using my resources.” He shrugged.

Pidge sat up in their chair and leaned on Hunk’s shoulder. “Sorry to break it to you, but she’s gone. Her and the food.”

“Aww really?” Lance pouted. “Now I have to go to the store…”

“Yep. Snooze you lose.” They grinned. It was clear to both of them the disappointed look from Hunk. But that wasn’t because of the food. “Oh, who were you on the phone with today? You know, before you decided to let Keith pummel you.”

“O-kay, it was a draw.”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “Uh huh. Yeah. Sure. But really, who were you talking to?”

“Uh…“The fight had been a welcome distraction to that conversation. And now that it had been some time since he hung up on that person, he still wasn’t really ready to relive it. “Uh… it was just my brother. Freakin’ out about Christmas gifts or whatever.”

“That’s like a month away?”

“That’s what I said, before I hung up on him.” The lie worked and neither Pidge nor Hunk seemed to notice that he wasn’t telling the truth.

“Hey do you want to see Keith’s stuff from today?” Hunk asked, effectively changing the subject.

“Uh n-no? Why would I want to do that?” Lance felt his heart begin to beat a little faster. He was still kind of getting used to thinking about Keith as a possible friend, and he was actually getting excited about finding out more about him now that they managed to fight their way past that hurdle. The hurdle that he had created.

During this little introspective moment, Lance had somehow ended up lowering himself into the seat next to Hunk. His rabid curiosity way too furious a beast to handle. Pidge pressed a few buttons and the screens popped to life. Three different angles of one incredibly gorgeous young man. This was not the same Keith he was fighting with hours ago. This wasn’t the guy he was starting a tentative friendship with. This… this was…

This was where Lance blew another fuse. “What the damn hell!?”

“Looks pretty good right?” Hunk clapped him on the shoulder. “Keith is a pretty good actor. He should branch out more. Like, do a TV show or something.”

“Did you- did you guys Photoshop this? A-are you doing this just to mess with me??”

“Uh no? Dude are you okay?”

“Witchcraft.” Lance muttered.

“What?”

“Witchcraft! How in the hell can he go from your average cute guy to something that should be on display in a museum?!” Lance gripped Hunks sleeve and practically shouted in his face. “HOW?!”

Pidge and Hunk were glancing at each other, both of them ready to burst with laughter. “Uh, Lance?” Hunk was a little more composed.

“What?”

“Did you- uh- did you hear what you just said?”

Lance frowned. “What? What did I say?”

Pidge chimed in this time, the biggest grin on their face. “Lance had a crush on Keeith! Lance has crush on Keeith!”

His cheeks turned bright red as Hunk joined in on the little song. “I- I do not! I’ve only known the guy for like… two days and he hated me until a few hours ago!”

“You liiiikke him….” Pidge poked him in the arm.

“I do not!”

“Pfft, yeah right. And I’m not currently subscribing you to a shit ton of email lists.” Lance’s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. So this was going to Pidge’s dastardly form of revenge for his vague threat earlier. That or they were still punishing him for being a jerk. They flashed a grin before getting back on topic. “And don’t deny it, you totally like him.”

“Even if I did, _which I’m not saying that I do_ , I messed it up already. I was such an ass the first day we met.” Lance’s gazed dropped from the screen, instead focusing on the ground. Today’s little events were promising yeah, but he still didn’t feel like he’d completely made it up to Keith. He deserved every little jab Keith made at him today, and then some. Things had been fixed, but there was still a whisper of guilt in his heart. And he wasn’t sure that was ever going to go away.

Hunk sat up straighter and took over the conversation from Pidge. “You didn’t mess it up. Not completely any way. You said you were sorry and I think that means a lot more than you realize. You’ll see, things will turn out okay. Also, you guys looked pretty friendly but the time he left. Just saying.”

Lance could feel the blush creeping up his neck. Hunk really put the best in best friend. Still, Lance wasn’t ready to even consider that he might have a crush on Keith. He waved the big guy off. “You sound like a fortune cookie. Thanks, but I am still denying any crush.”

The two friends looked at each other with the same kind of exhaustion. Pidge seemed to be the more frustrated one and whipped out their phone. A few seconds later, Lance got an email thanking him for subscribing to ‘This Week in Cats’ newsletters.

The three of them sat back and watched the bits and pieces of the days shoot. It was weird to see Keith flip the switch from normal human being to drop dead gorgeous creature from somewhere beyond. It was literally like to different people. Coran had never really stopped rolling the camera, so there were bits where Keith was just his normal (ish) self, taking direction. Then Coran would yell action and a whole new person would suddenly be looking straight through the lens and right at Lance.

_Hot damn._

Lance wished he could take this home with him. He wished he could put it on his laptop and watch it forever. But then all those thoughts felt weird when he knew he was going to see the man himself tomorrow. And that he was becoming friends with him. Life was just too damn weird.

“Okay, I’m gonna go before I like- I don’t know- have a heart attack or something.” Lance pushed himself up and glanced at the screen one more time. A shiver shot up his spine.

“Alright see you later buddy. Get home safe.” Hunk pat him on the shoulder.

“You too. See ya Pidge. Oh and thanks for the cat emails, I might actually keep that one.”

Pidge chuckled. “I thought you might. Last week it was just pictures of kittens. Just a whole bunch of kittens just like, stumbling over each other. Honestly it was _the best_.”

It sounded pretty great, if he was being honest. He always wanted a cat, but his mom’s allergy ruined that dream when he was a kid.

Lance zipped up his jacket and headed out, the moon already beaming down at him. Winter was the worst for one reason only and that was the shorter days. It’s was only 7:30 and he felt like it should have been midnight. He fished for his gloves in his pocket and began the trek to the train station.

Along the way he forwent grocery shopping again and ducked into a burger place for something to take home. And then a few stores over he grabbed cupcakes for later because he had no self-control and a horrendous sweet tooth. It was a bit awkward when a girl and her boyfriend recognized him. He tried to play off getting six cupcakes for himself as completely normal, but in all honesty he felt like he looked a little pathetic. They didn’t really care especially since they guy had just surprised the girl with tickets to their concert in the spring.

Yeah, she wouldn’t have cared if Lance was sitting in a corner eating a whole cake with his bare hands. She still would have asked for a picture.

After a nice little conversation, Lance ducked out the door and continued on his route, hoping his food wasn’t getting too cold. As he past the familiar department store with a familiar face still in the window, he just had to stop and look.

It was weird, looking at the images now. Now that he was slowing getting to know the guy behind that smile. He still didn’t know a lot about Keith, but the little he did know was continuing to impress him. Keith was very different then he’d imagined him to be. But in a good way. In a way that made Lance want to find out more. He wants to learn more about Keith and figure out what made him _Keith_.

What made it possible for him to forgive Lance so easily after he was sure there was going to be no chance for a middle ground? Why was Keith filled with so much kindness even though he gave off this kind of tough air? How in the hell was he lucky enough to get Keith forgiveness in less than an hour?

Lance spun around and dug for a fry out of his bag, too many thoughts crowding his mind. The food was still nice and hot.

A train pulled out of the station just as Lance turned the corner. He dragged his feet to the stairs and groaned when an announcement told him the next train would be delayed, adding another 20 minutes to his usual half an hour wait. The platform was completely empty on both sides; everyone was apparently luckier than him and was able to squeeze on the first train. Lance plopped down on a bench and put his cupcakes down on the seat beside him.

His grumbling stomach forced him to open up his burger and start going to town. Lance hadn’t realized just how hungry he was until he nibbled on a fry a little while ago. Thank God no one else was there because this savagery was probably very embarrassing.

“Lance?” A voice nearly made him choke on a piece of lettuce. Lance coughed for a few seconds and then looked up. The sight of Keith nearly made him choke again.

He felt like he was going to faint. Keith looked, good. Like really damn good. His hair was slicked back and out of his face, reminding him of some 50’s movie star. He was wearing a dark fitted suit with a thin red tie and a thick coat folded over his arm. One thought screamed in his head more than anything else. _Holy hell, I have a crush on Keith._

Lance felt his world tilt. Like in the blink of an eye he was standing on a big ball and was trying desperately to keep his balance. He rocked back and forth on the ball, wonder how everything could have changed so quickly.

“K-Keith?” tiny pieces of burger meat flew out of his mouth. Lance chewed quickly and swallowed, taking a swig of his soda to force it all down. “Uh h-hey Keith. What are you-?” _doing to my heart? Why are you suddenly the man of my dreams? Why do you smell like cotton candy and a fine aged whiskey?_ “What are you doing here? And what’s with the monkey suit?”

Lance clamped his mouth shut. Why the hell did he say that?

Keith frowned and tugged at the tie, pulling it loose. “It’s a train station. Y’know, a public space? And the suit wasn’t my choice. I had a thing, and it was a fancy thing.”

“A party?” he suggested.

“Yeah, for my agency. That’s why I had to leave early today.”

Lance nodded, still starting. There were a few moments of awkward silence before he realized that he needed to say something. He dropped his burger into the bag and grabbed his cupcakes. “Do you- do you wanna sit?”

“Sure. Thanks.” Keith dropped into the seat next to him, a tired groan happening at the same time. He stuffed his tie into his pocket and undid the first few buttons on his shirt. Lance had to look away otherwise he might have ended up with a nose bleed.

“So how was the party?” _That’s right, keep it casual. You guys are friends now, right? Totally cool._ Lance’s inner monologue was the only thing keeping him sensible.

“Pretty boring. Just a lot of clients and agency people all packed to the same room. Oh and models, so many models.”

“Uh, I hate to tell you this, but you’re a model Keith. You’re one of them.”

Keith chuckled, making it very hard for Lance not to squeal. “Yeah, yeah it’s just my agency just signed on a bunch of kids. And before you say it, yes I realize that I’m only 21 but when you’re surrounded by a bunch of 16 and 17 year olds, you start to feel like some middle aged man.”

“Pfft, it can’t be that bad.”

“I was the second oldest one there.”

“’Kay that’s hilarious.”

Keith glared at him, but it wasn’t like this morning. There was something kind of playful behind the look. Lance’s heart beat a little faster.

“So what’s with the break-up food?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Greasy burger and fries, half a dozen cupcakes? That’s stuff you eat when someone just dumped you.”

Lance grimaced looked down at his load. “N-no one broke up with me. This is just dinner! And it’s only six cupcakes. Saying half a dozen make it sound like I bought out the whole store.” Keith didn’t really look like he believed him, but he didn’t press it. Lance rolled his eyes. “We just got done at the studio about an hour ago. I kind of stopped a few places before getting here.”

He nodded, looking up and down the train tracks. The little gesture made Lance panic. Was he boring? Was Keith not interesting in hearing him talk anymore? It’s not like it really mattered, he was going to see him tomorrow. And tomorrow he was probably going to show up in that stupid sweatshirt again, looking all comfy and warm and cute-

“Lance?”

Pop goes the day dream. “Wh-wha?”

“I asked how things went after I left.”

“Oh it was- uh- good? Not much to report.”

“Cool.”

Lance mentally kicked himself. This whole spacey personality thing was cute when he was a kid but now it just got him in embarrassing situations. He glanced up at the clock hanging over the tracks. It was 8:49.

A question popped into his head that had actually been plaguing him for the past few minutes. “Hey do you always take this train? Cuz I always take this train I have never seen you here before.”

“Dude, it’s not like you own the station. Maybe we just missed each other this whole time.” He shrugged.

“I do own this station. I’ve been the Gym Leader for a month and counting.” Lance boasted. His obsession with the mobile game hadn’t subsided one bit since the summer.

“That’s your Gyrados? I was standing here for an hour the other day trying to beat it.”

Lance grinned, puffing out his chest in an almost comical way. “Don’t mess with Team Mystic. We dominate this city. You’re probably _Valor_ , right?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Call it an educated guess. That and no one picks Instinct. Except for Hunk, but he’s a Hufflepuff so yeah that explains that.”

Keith shook his head and pulled on his coat. “God, you are a nerd.”

“Honestly, I’ve accepted it.” Lance sneaked a glance at Keith. He was smiling. But it wasn’t a smile he recognized. It wasn’t one that he seen dozens of times online, in all those photo spreads he did for his job. This smile didn’t quite fit into any of the categories Lance had made up in his head. Was this something special? Something all those photographers were missing out on?

Could this- could this smile be just for him?

The screechy announcer voice blared over the loudspeaker. The next train was going to be there in 5 minutes. That’s means he only had a little more time with Keith before tomorrow.

“Do you want a cupcake?” Lance held out the box, unsure what possessed him to let go of one of his delicious little treats.

Keith looked back and forth from him to the box; his eye’s looking almost black in the dim light. “Uh sure? What kind are they?”

“I dunno. I just told the guy behind the counter to pick his favorites. They’re might be a bacon one in there so good luck.”

“Thanks? I think.” Keith reached in and picked one with white frosting. He peeled off the paper and took a bite. “Hmm. Lemon? Who likes lemon cupcakes?”

“The guy that works there apparently.” He unwrapped his own choice and chowed down. “OOoo, red velvet. Score.”

“Hmph, lucky.”

The two finished the rest of their cupcakes just as the train was pulling into the station. It was a bit weird following Keith into the car. But this was normal right? They were friends, right? Keith hurried to the back corner and got comfortable. Lance glanced at the seat next to him and started to panic. Should he sit next to him? Train seats are a lot closer together then bench seats. Especially when you’re both spread out on said bench with a Pidge sized hole in between the two.

Lance stuttered for a few more seconds before taking the seat right in front of Keith. Close but not too close. He rested his back against the window and stretched out his legs.

“Too cool to sit with me? I see how it is, McClain.” Keith joked, coping Lance by leaning on the window.

“Can’t have you cramping my style, Kogane. I got a reputation to uphold.” He popped his collar and smirked.

“I just saw you stuffing your face like, 20 minutes ago. I’m pretty sure you spat out burger chunks while you were talking.” Lance felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He was really hoping that they could just gloss over that bit for the rest of forever. Keith stifled a laugh at the look on his face.

“Alright, changing the subject.” Lance grumbled. “For some reason Pidge thinks that you won the fight today. It was totally a draw though, right? Right?”

Keith had a funny look on his face, like he was mulling something over. “I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I would have won if Shiro hadn’t stepped in.”

“WHAT.”

“I mean, my hand was closer. My finger actually touched the phone before he swiped it.”

“Bull shit. I totally was about to win! But here I am trying to be nice and call it a tie…”

“You? Nice?” he huffed, feigning disbelief.

“Hey,” Lance jabbed a finger into his shoulder. “I gave you a cupcake.”

“Good point.” Keith conceded.

Lance internally cheered. Winning a tiny argument like that shouldn’t have made him this excited, but for some reason it sent his mind in a whirl.

“We should have a rematch.” Lance muttered, not really meaning to say that out loud.

“Uh- no? Why would you even think that?” Keith was looking at him with wide eyes.

“N-not like a fight or anything, but like Mario Kart tournament or Jenga competition- something like that.”

“Why?”

Lance smirked. “So I can prove that I can beat you at something. Basically prove that I’m awesome.”

Keith turned and stared at him, his brows raised. Lance knew he was horribly competitive. Growing up in a big family had kind of made it impossible not to be. Even though they had come to some kind of truce, he still kind of had the urge to prove he wasn’t just a clumsy doof that Keith was forced to work with. And that he wasn’t as big of a jerk either. A friendly competition might be the perfect cure.

It looked like Keith was trying to figure out if Lance was serious. If he had any other motives behind the strange suggestion. The offer hung in the air like a weird smell.

Finally Keith smirked. “Alright. But remember, you asked for it.”

“YES!”

“Just say the word nerd, and I’ll beat you at whatever game you come up with.”

“Uh correction, _I’m_ going to beat _you_.”

“Pfft, yeah right.”

The train chugged along, only picking up a few more people on the next few stops. The conversation moved pretty easy after that. There wasn’t any tension or awkward pauses, it was just natural. It helped that Lance was picturing Keith in his messy sweats and hair in his face instead in a really nice, tight fitting suit. Yeah, that helped a lot. Pretty soon they were cruising up to Lance’s stop and surprisingly, he didn’t really want to go.

“This- This is me.” The breaks were starting to squeal.

“Cool.” Keith nodded. The gel in his hair was starting to lose its hold. A few strand of hair were falling around his face. “See you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.” Lance smiled really quickly before jumping up from his seat. The doors chimed and all opened at once sending a chill into the car. Lance hopped out and began walking across the platform, nodding at Keith as he walked by his window.

The train pulled away as soon as he reached the stairs. He turned and watched it go, wondering how long Keith would be sitting at that window.

How had they not run into each other before? This was the second time he’d seen Keith at _his_ train station. Was he always there? Did Lance just not notice because he usually dressed in such dark colors? It was possible. He was very hard to recognize in his normal, ‘I don’t give a shit’ clothes.

Was he really just passing by Keith this whole time and never noticed?

 

* * *

 

The next few days passed by in a blur. A blur filled with tons of caffeine, very little sleep and a whole hell of a lot of work. Lance had always thought that making videos was one of the many fun benefits of being in a band. You basically get to feel like a movie star which was on little Lance’s list of things he wanted to be when he grew up.

However the reality was pretty damn different. Early call times, long waits, doing the same thing over and over again until Lance was fairly certain that he was stuck in some wormhole. It could be rough. But he was sure the end result would all be worth it. So far Coran hadn’t let him down once. It was sure to be an amazing video.

One thing Lance was grateful for was that he and Keith had managed to find some middle ground. The next day after the fight and then train ride home, it was actually nice see the mullet headed model. Really, really nice. It sure as hell made it easier to get out of bed in the morning that was for sure. When Lance actually said hi to Keith that morning, Shiro was in the background watching like a hawk. He still seemed a little worried that the two would start another fight. But really, Shiro had nothing to worry about.

All too soon, the week was coming to an end and Keith’s contract was just about up.

Lance had gotten to the studio early today. Last night’s writing session had ended with him lying face first on his kitchen floor with his dad’s guitar on the ground next to him. Trying to write a song at home wasn’t getting him anywhere. He needed a change of scenery.

After digging for his keys in his pocket, Lance jammed it in the lock and turned the handle with his numb fingers. He’s left his gloves on the train. This was his third pair this year.

5:02 in the morning made this place look kind of creepy. Lance flicked on the lights and went over to the kitchen. He’d already downed his coffee on the ride over and was dying for another. The little coffee maker had been brought over from their old studio and for some reason, no one bothered to buy a new one.

Lance liked to think it was because of the history behind it. So many drinks had been served from that pot. And so many long and good conversations had been had over those brews. It was weird that a machine was making him so nostalgic. But really, there was another reason for the flash backs that he was trying his hardest to ignore.

The dark drink began filling up the pot. Lance watched it with eager eyes, his mug already waiting in his hands. As soon as the last drop fell, he poured himself some and made sure to leave plenty of space for his cream and sugar.

Coffee in hand, Lance headed down the hall to try and make some magic. The recording booth was a little chilly and stuffy, the lack of use in the past few days showing. He dropped his scarf on the couch and slid off his backpack. The lights flickered on inside the room, the familiar scene making him feel comfortable. An acoustic guitar was sitting on the stand in the dead center of the room. Like it was haunting him.

Lance pushed open the door and glared at the instrument. “You are not going to win.” He grumbled. He pulled up an extra chair and set down his coffee. He grabbed it roughly by the neck and sat down with a new fury driving him. “I _will_ get this stupid song out of my head…”

45 minutes later and Lance was lying on the ground again.

Coffee drained and patience spent, today wasn’t going nearly as well as he had hoped. Lance was hugging the guitar, absentmindedly plucking at the strings. For some reason, strumming out chords wasn’t helping. It always used to work like that. Just strum strum strum and boom: magic. A months’ worth of fooling around on his guitar was doing nothing for this song in his head. And it was severely hurting his musical confidence.

Lance reached into his pocket for his phone to check the time. It buzzed in his hand, almost making him drop it on his face.

“Shit…” he whispered. Lance set the instrument aside and rolled onto his belly. This message captured his full attention. There was no reason for her to be texting him. There was no reason he should have answered her call the other day. But here he was, feeling like he was a goddamn kid again, wrapped around her middle finger.

The One: _Hey cutie <3 I liked talking to you the other day._

The One: _We should do it again sometime._

The One: _Soon._

He glared at the messages. At the little heart that he knew wasn’t genuine. Then why? Why in the hell was his heart racing? He could feel a lump begin to form in his throat and he tried and tried to push it down. Why does she still have this effect on him?

She probably woke up early to send these, knowing full well that he was up at the crack of dawn for work. Knowing her and her twisted little minds games, she wanted these texts to be the first things he saw. Devious.

Lance: _Hey. Yeah it was cool…_

Lance: _I’m super busy with work and stuff right now_

Lance was hoping he sounded as vague as possible. He didn’t want her going ahead and thinking it was okay to call him every day like she used to. They weren’t dating anymore. Hell they couldn’t even be considered friends.

The One: _Oh did I wake you?_

The One: _Sorry_

Lance: _No it’s fine, I’ve been up for a while._

The One: _So…_

The One: _I‘ve missed you._

There is was. Lance groaned and buried his face into his arm. A whole storm of emotions had just been unleashed and his week little heart was getting swept up in its powerful winds. He snatched up his phone and began typing.

Lance: _What do you want Nyma?_

Lance: _We haven’t talked in months._

Lance: _Haven’t seen each other in over a year._

Lance: _What’s with the sudden interest??_

The One: _Can’t I just say hi? I miss you…_

Lance: _You broke up with me._

The One: _That doesn’t mean I can’t miss you._

The words were staring at him. Taunting him almost. It felt like a bolt of lightning had just ripped through him. God, he wanted to see those words for so long. But no, he’d moved passed this. Pass her. Hunk had helped with that. He was the first one there during the aftermath of Hurricane Nyma. Then everyone trickled in to help him pick up the pieces she had scattered. First loves are always the hardest to get over and until recently, he thought that he was finally breaking through to the other side.

Maybe he should change her name in his phone to hurricane.

The One: _Lance?_

Lance: _How’s Rolo?_

The One: _Really? That’s mature._

Lance: _Just trying to be casual._

Lance: _So how’s the boyfriend?_

The One: _Ex-boyfriend now. Things got… complicated._

Lance: _Oh._

Lance: _Sorry._

If this were an in person conversation, this is where he’d be doing everything he could to try and avoid her eyes. Those pretty hazel eyes, and her pretty yellow hair…

The One: _We didn’t get to talk for long. I was hoping I could see you._

Lance: _Is that why you called?_

The One: _Yeah. Do you want to grab coffee sometime?_

Lance: _Maybe._

Lance: _Maybe after the New Year?_

Lance: _Super busy right now._

The One: _Right._

The One: _Okay. I’ll hold you to that ;)_

The One: _Talk to you later, cutie <3_

Lance: _Bye._

He chucked his phone behind him, half hoping it would break. Lance yanked on his hood and closed his eyes. _Why did I do that? Why why why in the hell did I do that?_

Nyma had this weird power over him. After four years, he was hoping that he was strong enough to ignore her. To let her become a little blip in his past to look back on and learn from. But he knew deep down that he hadn’t really let her go. After all, her number is still saved on his phone as ‘The One’. A very lovesick young Lance was convinced that they were going to end in wedding bells. Funny considering how things turned out.

Lance was very well considering enlisting the help of Pidge to block her from everything. Facebook, Instagram, his phone; everything. A tiny little part of him was holding back.

A knock on the door made him groan. “Lance? What are you doing?” It was Shiro. He stood in the doorway with his head turned to the side.

“Writers block.” He mumbled in response. If Shiro found out that he’d been talking to Nyma, he’d go full on overprotective friend mode. He’d tell Pidge and Hunk and then they’d all hold an intervention or something more dramatic. No, Lance was sure he could handle this. He could handle her. There was no way he was going to let her wiggle her way back in to his heart. This was going to be strictly casual.

“Ah. Well, Shay and her family made pancakes this morning. You should grab some before they all disappear.”

“Wait- really?” he hopped up to his knees, eyeing Shiro suspiciously.

The older man chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. Pidge and Hunk aren’t here yet, but they will be soon.”

He didn’t have to say another word. Lance launched himself to his feet and paused only for a second while Shiro got out of the way. He barreled down the hall and out the front door. He ran wildly, pretty positive that he passed Allura on his way while she was getting out her car. The sweet smell of warm syrup wafted through the air as he stumbled into the warehouse.

 

* * *

 

“What was that?” Keith asked, climbing out of the car and shivering in a sudden wind.

“I think that was Lance.” She stared after the human blur and shook her head. “Where does he get all that energy?”

“Pretty sure he’s made of caffeine. Did you see how much coffee he had yesterday?”

Allura giggled a little and closed her door. A few seconds later, Shiro came out the door looking a little strange. He was holding a phone nearly up to his nose and looked about ready to shout. When he finally noticed them, he looked a little embarrassed.

“Oh-oh hey guys.” He threw on a smile that looked just a little too forced. Allura frowned.

“Good morning Shiro. Is everything… okay?” she asked tentatively.

“Uh- yeah. Every things fine. Lance forgot his phone in the studio _again_. Gets a little annoying, you know?”

Allura nodded, smiling at him sweetly. Keith wasn’t convinced. Shiro didn’t look annoyed when he pushed open that door. He looked… worried maybe? Yeah that seemed the best word for it. But what was it about Lance leaving his phone would make him worry like that?

That was a question Keith was probably never going to get an answer to. Especially considering that today was the last day he’d be coming here. It was always bittersweet when a long job like this came to an end. Sure the idea of having some time off sounded amazing, but he was really starting to like hanging out with Pidge and Hunk; and he knows for a fact that Allura is going to miss talking to Shiro every day.

Keith was even going to miss Lance. That tall nerd that had somehow gone from being a lego stuck to the bottom of his foot to someone he might actually be able to call a friend. He smiled at the thought. 18 year old Keith would have been over the moon knowing that Lance might actually be his friend. Funny how things change.

Inside the warehouse was business as usual, the tiny space that had been his characters bedroom was still intact on the far side. After the chaos that was that first day, Keith had run out of time to destroy it like Coran had originally planned. The mustached man called it a blessing in disguise the next time they met saying that it would be better and more important to the story if Keith and Lance had messed it up together. And then he said something about symbolism and aesthetic, yadda yadda yadda.

Either way, today was going to be fun.

Keith found Lance near the catering table, Shay laughing at him while he piled another pancake onto his already huge pile. He waited a bit to see if it would fall over.

Shay noticed him and waved. “Oh Keith, good morning.”

“’Morning. Aaaannd what is going on here?” he turned to Lance who had the biggest grin on his face.

“Hey! Shay doesn’t believe that I can eat ten pancakes. Do you Shay?”

She shook her head. “I said that it wasn’t _smart_ for you to eat ten pancakes, Lance. And really, it’s going to upset your stomach.”

“Pfft, no it won’t. Watch me.”

Keith stabbed two of the pancakes with his fork and slid them over to his plate. Just as Lance was about to protest, Keith cut it. “Save the eating contest till afterwards. I don’t want you throwing up on me in the middle of filming.”

“Keeeiittthhhh…”

“No.”

“But Keeiitthhh… I need to preserve my honor!”

“There’s no honor in eating so much that you could barf.”

“But-“

“No.”

Lance finally gave up, dumping a few more pancakes back on the platter. “Fine, you win. But only because Shay thought it was a bad idea too.”

“I am positive Hunk and Shiro would have said it was a bad idea as well.” Shay said quietly. Lance shot her a look but she just giggled behind an empty tray.

Keith grabbed a few more things to munch on and then sat down at a table. A few moments later, Lance and Hunk showed up. He looked around, but there was no sign of Pidge. When he asked, Hunk started laughing.

“Well I picked them up today on my way over, but they’re still asleep in my car. Shiro said they didn’t have to do anything right away so will wake ‘em up when we have to.”

“So basically you don’t want to be the one who wakes up Pidge.” Keith reasoned.

“Yeah. Basically. Like, telling people Pidge is not a morning person does not do them justice.”

Lance piped in in-between bites. “Ugh you should have seen them in high school. Total nightmare. I wonder how Matt survived growing up with them?”

“And Matt is?”

“Pidge’s older brother. He’s around Shiro’s age.”

Keith nodded, although for some reason, the information mad him a little sad. After today it wouldn’t really matter if he knew about Pidge’s brother or not. It wouldn’t matter that Hunk would be telling him funny stories about the two of them in high school. And it definitely wouldn’t matter that the smile on Lance’s face was sending little shivers down his spine.

No, after today this job would be done and Keith wouldn’t have a reason to come back here. It was the first time in a long time that he didn’t want something to end. He glanced up at Lance again and tried to commit that easy going grin to memory.

“Hey Keith, how long until your next job?” It was Hunk who asked his plate already empty.

“Uhh not for a little while. I decided to take some time off and just chill at home for a few weeks. Why?”

“Oh just wondering. Allura mentioned something about you being super busy.” He shrugged, his eyes flitting over to Lance for just a few seconds. Keith didn’t pay much mind to the big guy, but he felt like he was going to laugh at the look on Lance’s face. Was he… was he blushing?

It was gone in a flash when Shiro walked by, setting Lance’s missing phone on the table in front of him. His face dropping into a worried sort of frown as he realized that the screen was displaying something. Lance quickly pocketed the tiny device and continued to eat.

If he were being honest, Keith wanted to ask about it. He wanted to find out what little thing could make him go from flustered to worried in the manner of a few seconds. Did it have to do with his phone? When they met Shiro earlier, he’d had the same sort of look on his face.

There was something going on here, but unfortunately this was the last day Keith was obligate to be here. There was no point in trying to find out what was wrong when tomorrow it’d be back to business as usual.

No more filming.

No more Voltron.

And no more Lance.

Keith froze, his fork hanging in the air between his mouth and his plate. Why the hell would he think that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of times I update this fic makes it look like I have too much free time lol. I just can't stop writing about these nerds. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope I can get the next one to y'all just as quick!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the last day Keith gets to spend with the band, and all sorts of feelings get riled up. Allura gives him a well needed pep talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: https://youtu.be/gWhjfRgKekY

_“Now I see I’m not the only_

_With a square peg reputation_

_Suddenly I know where I belong_

_See myself in these other faces_

_Take a step and everything changes_

_By process of illumination”_

Keith sat there in utter awe as Lance finished singing. He rocked back on his heels like nothing was different, like he’d just done something incredibly easy and normal and not just made Keith swoon like a lady in a Jane Austin novel. Lance tugged on Hunk’s shirt, his voice back to a subtle whine.

“You see? That was genius! That was so easy to come up with, and here I am, barley into my 20’s and washed up. It’s official Hunk; I’m a one hit wonder.”

The three of them we’re waiting around for Coran near the set. The older man was off making sure they had everything for the last few scenes they needed to shoot. Allura already made him look like a kid, the stylist got him in and out in no hurry and now he and Lance we’re about to do their final scene together. And he had the audacity to just start belting out his favorite new song with little to no effort.

What the hell.

Hunk shook his head. “Okay first off, the idea to write something called ‘Process of Illumination’ was Pidge’s idea. Second; you’re not a one hit wonder man. You just have a bad case of writers block. It’ll clear up.”

“But what if it doesn’t? What am I going to do with my life if I’m not a rock star?”

“Uh maybe be teacher?”

Lance put his hand on his hip, his bottom lip jutting out. “Do I need to quote ‘School of Rock’ for you?”

“Please don’t.”

Keith, feeling a little left out, decided to get some clarity. “So what is this all about?” he asked.

Lance groaned dramatically before answering. “A little while ago I made the mistake of telling Shiro that I was going to write a new song. Then Shiro told Coran and Coran was all like,” he stood up straighter, twisting an invisible mustache. “’Another song?! That’d be perfect! It’ll be just the thing this album needs to bring it to the next level!’ or something like that. Anyway, a few weeks later and I have gotten absolutely nowhere.”

“Nowhere?”

“Nope.”

Even though it wasn’t his problem and he probably wasn’t going to see Lance after today, he still wanted to help in some way. That and he was curious.

“So how _do_ you write a song? Do you like, listen to other things for inspiration or what?”

Lance brought his hand up to his chin, his eye closed while he tried to think of an answer. “Well I don’t listen to anything, that just gets my head all fuzzy and crowded. Usually I start with… with a feeling.”

“A feeling?”

“Y-yeah. It probably doesn’t make much sense…”

“No, I get it.” Really, he did. One thing he learned early on in his career that modeling relies almost solely on how well a person can express a multitude of emotions. They had to find it, deep down in their gut and make it visible to the rest of the world. A model had to tell a story with a single still image. A song writer had to do it in lyrics and a melody. Both seemed impossible to an average person, but those who studied it, who learned from others, they were the ones making magic.

And poor Lance wasn’t feeling that right now. It was probably eating up at him more that he let on. Not being able to do one of the few things you knew you were good at. It must have been frustrating. But he was playing it off well, looking around at other things he needed to get done. Still, Keith felt the urge to help.

Before he could say anything else, Coran popped back into view.

“Hello there gentlemen! Ready to get started?”

“Yeah.”

“Yep!”

“Alright then, let’s get to it.”

 

* * *

 

Things started a little awkwardly. Keith was all ready to get in there and go to town, but Lance seemed a little more reserved, which honestly came to a shock to Keith. He expected the tall ball of energy to go full on destruction mode. However that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Not wanting to delay the shoot, Keith gave him a little pep talk.

“We have to make this look realistic.”

“I know Keith. That’s what I’m trying to do.” He grumbled.

“You apologized three times after knocking the fake lamp over.”

“Fake lamp or not, I could have broken it.”

Keith slapped his forehead. “That’s what you’re _supposed_ to be doing, doofus.”

“Who says ‘doofus’ anymore?”

“Oh please, you just called Shiro a _butthead_ \--”

Behind them near the camera, Coran cleared his throat loudly. “Pardon the interruption boys, but we do have a schedule to keep. Any time now would be great.”

Keith apologized quickly and slung his arm around Lance, turning him away from Coran and the cameras. He needed motivation. He needed to get into character. Lance froze at the sudden touch but Keith tried to ignore it.

He kept his voice kind of low. “Okay just- imagine this is your room.”

“But it’s supposed to be yours.”

“Stop talking.” He commanded and Lance clamped his mouth shut. His clear blue eyes looking down at Keith with unbridled attention. Now it was his turn to freeze up. Were Lance’s eyes always that nice to look at? He tossed the idea out of his mind almost as quickly as it had come and continued. “Just pretend this is yours. And imagine that you’re angry. Actually, don’t imagine it. Get angry.”

“But I’m not angry at anything.”

“Yeah you are. Think about what we were just talking about.”

Lance bit his lip, his brows furrowed. “The song?”

“The song. That stupid song that won’t get out of your big dumb head.”

“Hey-!”

Keith glossed pass the insult and turned to the lamp. He yanked the cord out of the fake socket and bounced it in his hand a couple of times, getting familiar with the weight. With a little grin on his lips, he flung the fake lamp against the wall. It shattered easily, a dramatic puff of porcelain dust wafting in the air. Keith looked over at Lance who looked a little shocked at first.

The shock slowly melted into a grin and he looked back at Keith practically beaming. Keith felt his stomach cartwheel and he had to look away before he imploded under that smile. The next thing he did was grab a pillow off the fake bed and tossed it to Lance. He pointed to the shelves lining the wall across from him and waited.

Lance held it a little stiffly, that smile quickly replaced by another confused look. All the sudden, Lance flung the pillow at the shelf with surprising force. The pillow burst, feathers flying everywhere. The trophies and other fake things lining the shelves clattered against each other. Something broke and fell to the ground. Lance looked back at Keith and was beaming again. Now it was time to go nuts.

Coran’s one instruction was to wreck the place, and they took that to heart. The song played in the loud in the background, pumping them up. Coran was shouting and cheering them on. Things flew past Keith’s face, picture frames and trophies shattered against the walls. Lance took to hitting him with a pillow over and over again until it burst into feathers.

As a bit of a finale, the two of them jumped on the bed shouting along to the song blearing on the speakers. The bed frame cracked under the pressure. Having two young men jumping on it like it was a trampoline wasn’t exactly safe. Keith fell, landing on his ass as the corner of the bed dipped down to the floor.

His side was hurting, and he was coughing from laughing so damn hard. Lance came tumbling down seconds later in the same state of insanity. They two of them lay on the broken bed, laughing like there was no audience. Like it was just the two of them.

The music cut off suddenly, their laughter sounding loud and weird against the relative silence. Once Keith was able to calm down a bit he looked up and realized that everyone else was laughing too. Coran, the camera men; even Hunk, Shiro and Allura were out there watching.

Keith sat up and looked around. They really did a number on the place.

Lance had finally calmed down; his head tossed back leaning on his elbows. Keith watched his chest move up and down underneath the thin blue shirt the stylists put on him. He now wanted to personally thank each one of those ladies for that wonderful decision. Sweat clung to his short, messy brown hair. His cheeks were red from all the jumping around and shouting. Keith tried to swallow, but his mouth had suddenly gone dry.

Coran was clapping, hurrying up to the two of them. “That was perfect! You two really went for it. It will make for the perfect conclusion to my masterpiece.” His eyes were gleaming with joy. “Didn’t expect the bed to break though, you both alright?”

Lance finally sat up, a warm little smile on his face. “T-that was so much fun.”

“Yeah.” Keith chuckled. He pushed himself up, momentarily tripping on the bedsheet that was sprawled on the ground.

“Keith.” Lance’s signature whine made him turn back around. He was still draped on the bed, one arm outstretched. “Help.”

“You can get up on your own.” He quipped, ignoring the way Lance’s shirt was riding up just a tiny bit.

He threw his head back and groaned. “Haaaalp.”

Keith snorted, not really thinking about what he said next. “Being cute isn’t going to change my mind.”

Now would be a really good time to learn the how to disappear. Keith shivered the blush that usually slowly creeps up his cheeks hit him smack in the face. He was positive that everyone, hell the entire world could see his embarrassment. There was no way he just said that. No way he was just that straight forward with his crush.

Hold the phone, _crush?_

Now Keith was really panicking. Since when did he have a crush on Lance? When in the week that he’d known the guy did he go from asshole, to friend, to _crush?_ Keith wanted to disappear. He wanted to take it back. He never got this flustered in front of someone before. What the hell kind of power did Lance McClain have over him?

When he finally looked over at him, Lance had the biggest shit-eater grin on his face. There was a deep blush on his cheeks that looked too perfect against his tan skin. Lance reached out again, his smile downgraded to a little smirk. “Help me up?”

“F-fine.” Keith stammered. He grabbed Lance’s arm and pulled him up, the singer stumbling on the bed sheet just like he had. Keith held on, letting him steady himself on his shoulder. Keith couldn’t help it. “Watch it, dork.”

“Shut it, mullet head.”

Both of them were smiling like idiots.

The moment was ruined by Coran, patting both of them on the shoulders. “Come on now; let’s go see how it looks on camera.”

Keith was the first to move. He ducked away, trying to go on with business as usual even though he had just called Lance cute. The two of them followed Coran to the monitors where three different screens were showing three different angels.

For a second, Keith didn’t recognize himself. He looked so fucking happy. And also a little bit insane. The footage was slowed a bit, making the fluttering feathers that were spilling from the pillow look downright magical as they flew in the air. Glass shattered brilliantly as they flung things at the walls. The piles of clothes on the ground were tossed up like confetti. It was a beautiful, destructive celebration. 

There were close ups of the two of them, laughing and smiling like fools. Then Keith noticed something that flew by him when they were filming. Brief moments where Keith had his back turned to him and Lance would just have this _look_. He’d look at him in a way that Lance had never looked at Keith before. In a way that no one has ever looked at him before. Every time he caught a glimpse of it, it made Keith start to wonder.

Was it at all possible that Lance liked him too?

Or was it all just for show?

That second thought made him deflate like a balloon that just ran into a cactus. It was stupid to get his hopes up now. Especially since that was the last thing he had to film.

Coran clapped him on the back with a force that very nearly knocked the wind out him. He spun around and addressed the whole crew. “Alright everyone that is a wrap on Mr. Kogane!”

Everyone was clapping, looking at him with kind smiles. Keith never really knew what to do in this situation so he just managed a weird little wave before hurrying to hide by Allura. That wasn’t the best idea as she wrapped him into a hug.

“Oh Keith I’m so proud of you!” she gushed.

“A-Allura! Would you calm down, it’s not like I won an Oscar or something.”

“But you did so well!” she pulled back but kept her hands firmly planted on his shoulders. Just in case she needed to pull him in for another hug. “And you looked like you had a lot of fun, too.”

Something about the tone of her voice made him wonder if she could read minds. Keith was forced to endure one more strong hug before she let him go, winking while she went to go pack up her things. Shiro came up to him next, holding out his hand.

“Thanks for doing this for us Keith. It was really great to meet you.”

Keith shook his hand. “Hey, thank you for giving me the call. All I did was say hell yes.”

Shiro chuckled. “Well I’m glad you did. This was fun. Hey you never know, we might need you again.”

“Yeah.” He nodded eagerly. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

Shiro nodded, heading off to wake up Pidge. He was the only brave enough for that venture. Keith looked around but Hunk had already been swept up by a very tiny and very pushy looking makeup artist. He waved at Keith, smiling wide.

The only one left to say goodbye to was Lance.

Keith didn’t want to do that just yet. Not after what just happened. So instead he went over to wardrobe and changed. The utter joy he felt putting on his big comfy hoodie was just embarrassing. He bunched up his hair in his hand and twisted it into a messy bun, securing it with a hair tie he ‘borrowed’ from Allura. Now he was just stalling.

“Hey Keith?” he jumped at Lance’s voice. The one person he didn’t want to face right now because he knew what he’d have to do.

“Hey.” Keith looked up at him. His heart throbbed at the gentle blush warming the other boy’s cheeks.

“So I guess I’ll see you on the train sometime?”

 “Uh, probably not.” Keith looked down at his shoes. “See I don’t normally take the train this far. I live on the other side of the city. And now that this is over, I don’t really have a reason to come all the way over here anymore.” He kicked the ground, scuffing the polished concrete with his shoe.

“Oh…” Lance’s voice was soft. Too soft. Keith didn’t want to look up and see his expression. It was likely to shatter his little heart. “Hey, do you…. I don’t know… do you want to h-hang out s-sometime?”

Keith looked up, his mouth hanging open in surprise. “Huh?”

Lance was literally backpedaling. His eyes wide and face flushed.  “I- I mean we said that we’d have a- uh- competition thingy. Right?”

“Yeah? I guess we did…”

“Great! T-then let’s do that sometime. Before you go to Guam or whatever.”

“Who said I’m going to Guam?”

“No one. I just assume you like, _go_ to all the random countries.”

Well he wasn’t wrong. Keith’s passport was filled with a whole bunch of countries most people have never heard about. But that was just a small distraction to what just happened.

Did Lance just try to ask him out on a date? And did Keith just fuck that up by not speaking actual words? It’s not like he denied him, but he was too shocked to actually say yes or no. Not that he was going to say no… but was he really ready to say yes?

Or was he reading too much in to this? Maybe Lance really did just want to hang out as friends and here was Keith getting his hopes up or whatever….

Either way, Lance wanted to hang out. He wanted to see Keith again. Whether it be just as friends or something more, he wasn’t going to let this moment pass him by.

“Yeah. W-we can hang out.” Keith felt like he was going to pass out. Those five little words knocked the air out of him and felt almost breathless.

“Really? Cool! Here, gimmie your number…” Lance whipped out his phone and entered in Keith’s number. A few seconds later, he got a message that could only be from Lance.

“Did you really just send me the poo emoji?” he groaned.

“You knew it was me right? I see no problem with that.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but his chest felt all warm and tight again. He just got a boys number. He just got Lance’s number. And he wanted to hang out with him. Lance wanted to hang out with him. If he wasn’t freaking out before, he definitely was now.   

Coran swooped in and ruined the moment yet again. “Alright Lance, we’re going to need you in a few minutes.” Keith stared at the man with all the fury he could muster. What did he ever do to him to have him interrupt not one, but two moments he was having with Lance?

Well they weren’t really ‘moments’. Not like those parts in the movies where the romantic leads make it clear that they like each other. Where the braver one says something ridiculously charming, the shy one tries to say something back but ends up sputtering and saying something embarrassing. They share a brief moment of contact. Whether it be playful shoving each other, hands briefly touching, shoulders bumping into one another. Its crystal clear what is brewing in the air between them, and it only takes an inch more to move forward.

 That was a moment. Where you knew that something was going to happen.

This wasn’t quiet it. This was that moment _before_ the moment. Where you were still unsure. It was that awkward middle area where neither one of you has taken that leap, that one big step where you knew for sure that the feeling was mutual.

Keith had literally said out loud that he thought Lance was attractive, but so far he hadn’t said anything back. So far the only thing Keith had to go on was the brief looks that he noticed in the video, and the maybe/maybe not date proposal. The fact that Lance had pictures of him on his phone really meant nothing. That kind of felt like a remnant of the shallow Lance he first met.

It wasn’t a moment, not yet. But it very well could have been.

The two said their goodbye’s, Lance reiterating their little tournament thing once again. Keith left with Allura, feeling infinitely better than he had this morning. He had Lance’s number.  He had a reason to see him again. And he had never felt anything like this before.

“So.” Allura had not so subtly turned down the radio. The car pulled to a stop at a red light and she turned to him with a funny looking smile. 

“So?” Keith didn’t dare look at her. It had been ten whole minutes since he talked to Lance and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to form a full sentence quiet yet.

“This certainly was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it really was.” He nodded, waiting for the real reason behind this conversation.

The light turned green and she sped on. “Little sad though, that we won’t be going there tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah…”

“Good thing you got Lance’s number or I was going to have to slip it in your phone when you weren’t looking.”

“A-Allura? What the hell?!”

She laughed, bouncing in her seat ever so slightly. “Oh don’t look so embarrassed! I wasn’t the only one who noticed you two.”

Keith stared at her, confused. “Noticed what, exactly?”

She waited a few moments before answering, her lips pursed while she was thinking something over. “Oh its’ nothing.”

“Nothing? Oh no, you can’t just bring something up like that and drop it just as quickly.”

“Keith, don’t distract me. I’m driving.” She tutted.

Keith slouched in his seat, putting his feet up on the dashboard. “You are the worse.”

“How about I make you those cookies that you like so much as a retribution?”

“… the one’s with white and dark chocolate chips?”

“Yes.”

“All is forgiven.”

Allura nodded, pulling on to the freeway. 20 minutes later and she was pulling up to his street. She promised a fresh batch of cookies by no later than tomorrow and then waited until Keith made it into his building. He waved to her as she pulled away from the curb.

Home wasn’t much to look at. It was small, a studio with a little kitchen and windows that didn’t close all the way. He lived on the top floor of a six story building and always joked with Allura that he didn’t need to go to the gym. Just leave your wallet in your place every time you venture out and boom. Cardio.

Keith locked the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. They landed with a thunk across the room on top of a pile of other, lesser worn shoes. Since he was out of the country most of the year, a small place with cheap rent made the perfect sense. Keith still wanted a place he could call his own but there was no point in having a huge apartment when he couldn’t always enjoy it.

He had two futons, one for sitting and one for sleeping, on opposite sides of the room. There was a big boxy TV that you could watch from either place, and the thing had to be at least ten years old. His reasoning for keeping such and ancient beast was so he could play his all his old video games, but really he was stubborn. It took so much effort to lug the thing up here that he was determined to use it until it died. Or until he decided to fling it down the stairs.

The only other pieces of interest we’re hung on the walls.

There were two meager shelves that Allura had hung up for him over the sitting futon. All of Voltron’s CD’s were there, a fake house plant that he really didn’t remember buying, and a few little trinkets that he’d picked up on his travels. Hanging next to them were two things. A picture of him and Allura on the Great Wall of China, and an old poster of Voltron.

It was from their very first tour a few years back, right around the time they had become super popular on YouTube. It was a short tour, only about 12 shows and lucky for him, one of them happened to be in his city. Keith had just gotten back from a big trip and almost forgot about the show entirely. His mind was too busy with other things to even think about having fun. But he reasoned with himself, listening to his iPod as he paced back and forth. With a few taps on his phone, his ticket was bought and he was out the door to catch a cab.

The venue was pretty small, so Keith ended up getting squished against a group of girls and a guy who forgot to put on deodorant. But he didn’t care. It was all totally worth getting smooshed.

Keith left the concert with a new CD for his shelf and a large poster of the bands front man, Lance McClain. He got a frame for it the next day and stared at it for an hour straight. So maybe he had some fanboy tendencies, too. But he was nowhere near as bad as Lance and he was also leagues better at hiding it.

Keith shook his head and flung himself down on his bed. His cheeks felt warm and he was sure the he was blushing again. He peeked at the poster from behind his bangs. “God… I am ridiculous.” He groaned, burying his face into his pillow.

His heart was pounding faster than he thought possible. This warm feeling was both exciting and strange. Keith had had crushes before, but nothing like this. When he was a kid, he knew that sooner or later he’d be moved to another foster home in another city and that crush would amount to nothing. Nothing more than just a chunk of awkward memories. This time was different. This time, he actually had a chance to make something happen.

It wasn’t going to be just a fling to forget about when he hopped on that next plane. It wasn’t going to be a one night stand where he woke up alone and cold. He had the chance to make it something more. And Keith had no idea how in the hell to do that. This thought hit him harder than a semi-truck barreling down the highway.

Just then, Keith’s phone chimed in his pocket. It was Allura, sending him a picture of some freshly mixed cookie dough. It should have made him excited. It should have put him in a good mood. But all Keith could think about right now was how underprepared he was for all these feelings.  

“Just… stop…” he hissed, closing his eyes tight. “Stop thinking… stop _over_ thinking… he probably doesn’t even like you back…”

That just served to make things worse. Keith pushed himself off his bed and stomped over to the TV. He jabbed the power button and flipped channels until he found something stupid to keep his mind off of everything.

 

* * *

 

Lance was still awake, and it and was almost 2 in the morning. He had been sitting in the same spot all night long. Cross-legged on his bed with his phone staring at him just a little ways away. It took all the self-control he had not to text Keith as soon as he got home. Especially since Keith had called him cute earlier that day.

The words didn’t really register. Sure he heard it and saw the embarrassed look on Keith’s face when he let it slip, but the reality that your crush kind of sort of likes you back took a while to fully sink in. Afterwards he replayed the brief conversation over and over again, making him almost miss his train.

It had been hours since he saw the guy and already he was feeling deprived. Deprived of what exactly, he couldn’t quite pin it down. Maybe it was that funny little laugh that made his eyes crinkle and the room light up. Or maybe it was the way he looked you in the eye when you were talking to him; giving you his full, undivided attention. Or maybe he just missed all of Keith. He missed getting to know him and being in the same room as him and a whole bunch of other things that didn’t make sense after knowing him for all of two seconds.

He thought back to that day when they took the train home together. When Lance had first suggested hanging out in the weirdest way possible. Really, who asked another human being to a Mario Kart competition instead of to a movie or something? Lance, that’s who. Still, Keith went along with it and even looked excited at the idea.

 _“Just say the word nerd, and I’ll beat you at whatever game you come up with.”_ His voice echoed throughout his skull.

_Just say the word._

Yeah, he couldn’t hold out any longer.

Lance scooped up his phone and began brainstorming his message. It had to sound confident and cool and nothing like his half assed attempt earlier today. He came off as a stuttering fool and Lance was 90% sure that Keith didn’t realized that he was asking him out. And because of that, his confidence slipped and Lance retreated to the whole ‘let’s be friends’ invite.

But the conversation still ended in them exchanging numbers, so it didn’t go that badly. His goal wasn’t achieved but he still got a cute boy’s number. That is a win in his book.

Lance re-read the text six more times before he decided to send it. He made sure it was clear that it was group invitation, making it more likely for Keith to say yes this time. It also would be a relief to have his friends there in case something went wrong and he realized that Keith actually didn’t like him that way. Basically Lance had made himself a nice little safety net.  

 It was late, so Keith wouldn’t answer for another few hours. With that in mind, he didn’t have to worry about a late response or anything so he could just sit back and relax and… oh dear god his phone just vibrated.

At first he thought he was dreaming. It was 2:11 in the morning, who besides Lance was up this late? Keith apparently, because low and behold, he just got a message from the other boy. Lance’s hand hovered over the device, his mind going over and over the message he sent. What if it was too forward? Or worse: had he woke him up? That wasn’t a good way to start a conversation.

Lance felt the urge to just chuck his phone in the freezer and forget it ever happened. He wasn’t expecting an answer so soon, and he hadn’t prepared himself at all. Lance took a deep breath and swiped his thumb across the screen.

 

* * *

 

Nerd _: HEY. Okay so feel free to say no, but there is this bar/arcade thingy on my side of town that I have been DYING to go to. We should all get together and go this week!! It’d be fun and I could totally kick your ass in Street Fighter. Let me know when you’re free!_

“What the hell…” Keith was staring at his phone, the words not sinking in. He had just decided to turn in for the night when his phone decided to wake his ass up and make it so he wouldn’t be able to fall sleep for the next three hours. Or really, Lance had decided to do that.

He read the message again then again and again. Over the past few hours, he had convinced himself that Lance really was only interested in being friends. After all, no one had ever wanted to get close to him like that before so it only made sense that Lance was one of them. Still, it’d be nice having him as friend, so long as he could keep this ridiculous crush under control.

This invite only further proved that Lance wasn’t looking for a relationship. A get together with friends at some noisy video game bar wasn’t exactly a good first date location. Plus Keith had been to those types of places before. They sounded cool in concept but were pretty lame in reality. He typed a quick answer and then shuffled over to the kitchen.

Keith: _A. why are you awake right now? B. Street Fighter? Please I could beat you in my sleep._

Keith grabbed a bowl and a box of Coco Puffs. He poured the last of his soy milk in the bowl and carefully set it down on his tiny kitchen table. His phone beeped again.

Nerd: _A. why are YOU awake? B. Bring it on samurai_.

A chuckle escaped his lips.

Keith: _Samurai? Really?_

Nerd: _It’s a compliment._

Keith: _Don’t really see how, but alright._

Nerd: _So…_

Nerd: _Was that a yes??_

Keith: _Yeah. I think so._

Nerd: _WHOO. IMMA ASSEMBLE THE GANG._

Nerd: _Oh wait it’s like 2:30 in the morning jk_

Keith: _2:42_

Nerd: _Don’t make me un-invite you._

Keith: _‾¯\\_(ツ)_/¯_

Nerd: _Wow. Looks like someone will be buying his own tokens._

Keith dropped his spoon in his cereal, splashing chocolate soy milk all over the table and himself. He muttered a curse and spun around to grab a paper towel. Buying something for someone was a very first date sort of thing to do. At least it wasn’t like a drink or anything, but it still made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

He mopped up the mess quickly and then sat down again, pushing any of those thoughts out of his mind.

Keith: _Your tokens would jinx me any way_

Keith: _I’m free literally every night so just let me know what your ‘gang’ says._

Nerd: _Awesome._

Nerd: _I’ll let you know tomorrow!_

Nerd: _Wait it’s already tomorrow._

Nerd: _…_

Nerd: _I’ll let you know later today!_

Keith: _Sounds good._

Keith: _Now go to bed. It’s late._

Nerd: Y _our one to talk…_

Nerd: _Night Keith!_

Keith: _Goodnight Lance._

Keith turned off his ringer and flipped his phone over. This might not be the best idea.

On one hand, he really did want to hang out with Lance. And not just him, but with Shiro, Pidge and Hunk too. While he didn’t get to become best friends with them or anything, he still enjoyed hanging out with the band. That and he didn’t really have anyone else in the city that he could call his friend.

More often than not, he felt like he annoyed Allura. She was the one he’d call when he was bored. When he was restless. When he just wanted someone to talk to. She had told him time and time again that that was exactly what best friends are for. That didn’t do anything to calm his anxious mind, of course.

On the other hand, he had a crush on Lance that only seemed to grow every time he so much as thought of the guy. Hanging out with him again, now that he had fully realized his feelings… it was going to be agony.

No. Keith wouldn’t let that happen. He was going to enjoy his time with his new found friend and not let his silly little feelings get in the way. He was going to have fun. He was going to make friends. And he was going to hang out with Lance and be happy just being in his presence.

With that thought in mind, Keith began to smile. He drained his cereal bowl and set it in the sink to clean later. He flicked off the lights and crawled into bed with his hoodie still on.

Keith fell to sleep within minutes.

The morning came quickly and soon enough, Keith found himself dragging himself out of bed to answer the infuriating sound of his buzzer.

He nearly fell on his face, his legs all wrapped up in his blanket. He jammed the button with his thumb. “WHAT.”

“Keith, it’s me! I have your cookies.” Allura’s voice sounded strange on the intercom. All gruff and grumbly and nothing like her normal sweet tone. “Buzz me in please.” She added.

Keith held down the button and heard the thunk of the lock opening. He undid the dead bolt on his door for Allura and then retreated back to bed. Keith curled up into a ball and began dozing off again.

The door swung open, “Hello- Keith? Are you really still in bed at this hour?”

Keith raised one hand and waved her away with a groan. He ducked underneath the covers.

“Well, I guess I can’t really blame you. You have had a trying few weeks.” Her shoes clicked against floor as she moved. Probably her going to the kitchen to put away his cookies. “I brought you a tea.”

This got his attention. Keith poked his head out. “What kind of tea…?”

“Large iced chai with soy and light ice. Right?”

“Yep.” Keith sat up and took the drink, taking a long sip from the straw. Allura sat down next to him and unwound her scarf. “Honestly, I don’t understand how you can stand an iced tea in the middle of winter. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Keith shrugged. “Cold doesn’t really bother me.”

“You’re lucky. I’ll have you know I’m wearing two pairs of leggings and two shirts underneath this sweater.” She tugged at his blanket, apparently still a little cold.

Neither of them had plans today, which meant a lazy movie day was in order. The two sat snuggled on his bed with the container of cookies quickly finding a new place sitting in between them. After flipping channels for the better part of an hour, they settled on an 80’s movie that both of them had seen dozens of times. So much so that they could quote parts of it.

“I always thought that Cameron and Sloan would end up together. Y’know, after the movie or whatever. They just seem to get each other.” Keith swirled his drink and took a sip, the sweet taste coating his tongue.

“You think so?” Allura tilted he head in his direction.

“Yeah. Ferris is a _too_ much of a little shit. Does that make sense? Like I feel like it would get annoying after a while. Never knowing if your boyfriend was telling the truth or not. It’d be stressful.”

“I guess I understand that.”

“And then there’s Cameron. He needs something good in his life cuz it is so messed up.”

“I didn’t realize you had so many feeling about ‘Ferris Bueller’, Keith.”

He shrugged, draining the rest of his cup. “Just one of those movies that leaves you thinking.”

Allura hummed in agreement, snatching the last cookie while Keith was distracted. “Oh, I think that was my phone…” she reached for her phone that had gotten lost in the folds of the blankets. Keith took the moment to steal the cookie back and took a big bite before she could retaliate. She unlocked her phone and the strangest grin lit up her face.

“Who is it?” Keith asked, curious.

“It’s Shiro.” She breathed.

“Oh yeah? Is he finally asking you out?”

She elbowed him. “I-I don’t know what would make you think that…”she began to blush deeply.

Keith grinned at her. It was just so obvious how much she liked him. The little smile, the light in her eyes. God, did he look like this when he was talking to Lance?

“So what does he want if he’d not asking you out?”

“Well, it seems that Lance is trying to plan some sort of get together…”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about that.” He remarked casually. Allura raised her brow and looked at him expectantly. “He texted me last night about it. He wants to go to this video game bar or something.”

“And?”

“And… what?”

“What did you say?” she scooted closer.

Keith had a funny feeling that he knew what this was about. It was clear now that Allura really could read minds seeing that she made it pretty obvious yesterday that she noticed his crush.  But Keith had already decided not to act on it. He wasn’t going to jeopardize being around Lance for the slim possibility that he liked him back. It was too risky, and Keith was never really good at taking risks when it came to his emotions.

“I just told him I’m free. He said he’d text me when he picked a day.” His stomach fluttered and Keith tried to stomp all those butterflies down.

Allura grinned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Oh how exciting! I can’t believe you’re going on a date with Lance!”

“W-what?!” he pushed he away, sitting up and turning to her. “I’m n-not going on a date with him. Its group thing, like Shiro said.”

“But Keith, Lance asked you. Personally. It wasn’t a group message, was it?” she asked even thought he was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“No… but he said ‘all’. As in _going as a group_.”

“Let me see.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but obliged. He’d left his phone on the kitchen table last night. Surprisingly, it wasn’t dead. With a little bit of reluctance, he handed it over to Allura.

Her eyes went wide. “You didn’t tell me he texted you at two in the morning?”

“Does that matter?” he asked, settling back under the covers.

“Very much so. Oh Keith, he was probably thinking about what to send you for hours!” Allura had somehow reverted to an excitable teenager. “We need to get to work.”

Allura launched herself out of the bed, stepping over Keith in the process. She flung herself at his closet, a tiny little thing that was supposed hold jackets and maybe a broom and a mop. Instead it held his entire wardrobe and was practically bursting out of the door.

Keith had collected (or better yet, stolen) many garments from his past jobs. The bad habit started by accident, when he walked out of a shoot wearing a ring that wasn’t his. At first he was freaking out about it, convinced that he was going to get in trouble. But then he realized: models steal stuff all the time. The funniest thing about his bursting closet was that he only really wore the same five things over and over again. Most of the things in there were only used for specific occasions, like parties or what not.

Keith groaned and dragged his feet over to her. “Allura, you’re overreacting.”

But she was in the zone. The door had practically burst open and Allura was knee deep in clothes. Her long platinum colored hair had been piled on top of her head while she dug around. She pulled out a bright blue shirt that had messy black stripes going across it and held it up. “Hmm isn’t this from American Eagle? I thought you didn’t like them.”

“That I stole out of spite.” He took the shirt and bunched it up in to a ball, tossing it behind him. “Really, you don’t need to do this. It doesn’t matter what I wear because it’s not a date. Lance… Lance doesn’t like me like that. So you can stop now.”

Keith was staring at the mound of clothes, the urge to dive into them and bury himself alive was very strong all the sudden. He had come to this conclusion last night. Realizing that it was almost impossible for his feelings to be reciprocated by someone he had just barely met. It wasn’t like this was some fairytale where everyone gets a happy ending. Having to grow up the way he did, Keith knew better.

When he looked up again, Allura had dug herself out of the closet and was standing close.

“Why would you think that?” She asked gently.

Keith didn’t really want to talk about, but also holding it in like this was just going to make him feel worse. Keith spun around and sat on the couch, running his hands through his hair.

“Because… because why would he? Really? We haven’t known each other that long and we definitely didn’t get off on the right foot. Although that kind of was his fault, not mine.” Allura softly laughed at that, settling down next to him. “It just—it doesn’t make sense. If he likes me, why hasn’t he said anything? Why are we doing a group thing instead of something else? It’s because he just wants to be friends. And I need to stop getting my hopes up.”

Then there was silence between the two of them. The only noise was coming from the TV which had just begun rolling the credits. Keith didn’t want to look at his friend. He didn’t want her to look at him. Now that he’d said what he was feeling aloud all he wanted to do was forget it ever happened. He had never had someone to confide in growing up, so if still felt strange to dump all his emotion garbage on Allura even though she insisted on it time and time again.

After all, he was the first one she came to when her father passed away. Friendships like that, where you can trust them even in your darkest times, they were rare and wonderful and sometimes Keith forgot that he had found that.

Finally he looked up at her, his eyes searching her face for some kind of answer. Allura reached for his hand and held it tight.

“Keith, you really don’t notice much, do you?” she smiled.

“Uhh aren’t you supposed to be comforting me or something?”

“Don’t worry, I’m getting to that. I just had to point that out.” She scooter closer and patted his hand. “I don’t think you see what everyone else has been seeing.”

“And that is?”

“Lance likes you. Don’t give me that look, I know what I’m talking about.” She pursed her lips and frowned at the look of disbelief on Keith’s face. “Yes, I know he wasn’t quiet as forward as you might like, but there is no denying it when you see the two of you together.”

Keith felt his stomach flutter again. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s just little things that we’ve noticed. Like whenever you’re talking, Lance seems to sit up taller and never really looks away. Or the way he always seemed to gravitate towards you after that first day. Little things like that that add up to something important.”

Keith was staring at her, his mouth open slightly. He never noticed these things about Lance. Did he really act differently when Keith was in the room or was she just trying to make him feel better about all this?

“Wait do I… do I do the same thing?” he asked hesitantly.

Allura laughed. “I’m sorry to say, but yes you do. You’re not as good at hiding things as you think, Keith.”

“Well… shit.” Keith hissed, his whole world kind of crashing after that. Allura laughed at him again, her hand still griping onto his while he mentally went over every little interaction he’d had with Lance in past week.

“Don’t look at like a bad thing.” Allura was finally able to calm down. “If anything, this is good. Now you both know how the other feels and you can start moving on to better things.”

“Better things? Allura I don’t know…”

“Keith, trust yourself on this. I promise you things will turn out okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Well okay is the minimum. It’s not like you going to go on your first date and everything becomes perfect after that. You have to put in the work to make things wonderful. And I have a feeling that you and Lance are going to work well together to get there.”

Keith couldn’t help but smile thinking about the tall, over competitive, nerd. Working _together_ with Lance. That sounded kind of impossible at this point given how different they seemed. But as Allura stood and began stuffing things back in his closet, Keith let his mind wonder.

It sounded kind of fun. The idea of spending time with Lance, learning about Lance, figuring out how he fit into Lance’s life. And how Lance would fit into his. Allura was right about one thing, it was going to be work if something did come of this. What with his crazy work schedule and Lance’ slowly rising fame. It was probably going to be one to the hardest things he had to do.

But thinking about the possibilities, about the wonderful things they could experience if they got that far; that made him want to try.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun.  
> :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Shiro sits him down to have a little heart to heart, Lance feels infinitely better about things. So much so that he decides to take a little chance when it comes to his feelings for Keith.

Saturday couldn’t come soon enough. Lance was bouncing off the walls of whatever building he was in, the excitement of the coming weekend too much to handle. And of _course_ everyone was busy earlier in the week. He couldn’t gather everyone together until the weekend and that still almost didn’t happen. Stupid Pidge and Hunk just had to go to this seminar thingy this weekend. Luckily the person they wanted to see moved up there panel which made it possible for them to hang out later.

It was like fates were all working together to get him a boyfriend. The only thing standing in his way was his own overactive imagination and his ex-girlfriend that wouldn’t stop texting him.

Nyma was making herself a part of his life again. Not a good part and not necessarily a bad part, but still something. A little rock wedged in the bottom of his shoe. When Shiro found out, Lance was absolutely shocked. He didn’t expect this secret to get out so quickly. But when Shiro plopped his phone down on the table, a new message from Nyma shining on the screen, he about died.

After Keith had left, Shiro asked him if he wanted to meet for coffee the next day. Lance couldn’t say no. He was petrified, of course. Dealing with serious, grown up things was still very scary to him. He glanced down at his phone every few seconds, hoping that Shiro wouldn’t show. But he did, right on time.

Shiro stepped through the door, a gust of cold air rushing into the small coffee shop Lance liked to haunt. He ducked into his scarf, the cold tickling his cheeks. Shiro spotted him and waved, heading up to the counter to place his order.

Lance couldn’t keep his legs from bouncing up and down.

It only took a few minutes for Shiro to get his drink. It was later in the morning, well past the crazy morning rush. Soon enough, he was pulling out the chair across from Lance and draping his coat on the back of the chair.

He sat down, looking at Lance all the while. “So.”

Lance bit his lip, unsure of what to say.

Shiro sighed. “Lance. You know what I’m going to ask.”

“…yeah I know.”

“Are you… thinking of getting back together with her?”

“What? No! I-it’s not like that at all.” He stuttered, a little shocked at how forward he was.

“Sorry, I just had to get that one out of the way.” Shiro was holding on to his cup, tapping it nervously. “So what _is_ it like?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I didn’t read your messages or anything. She texted you and I just happened to see it. I’m just… I’m worried is all. Last time we talked about Nyma wasn’t exactly a good time.”

Lance chuckle dryly, the memory replaying vividly in his head. He had been absolutely crushed when he found out she cheated on him. Even more so when he discovered how long it had been going on. It completely blindsided him and nearly stopped him from pursuing music at all. After all, she was the one he would test out his songs on. She was the only one he felt comfortable enough sharing them with when he was first starting out. If it wasn’t for his friends, he might not have picked up a guitar again.

But they helped him through it. Through the heartache. Each in their own unique way. And Shiro had been the talker. The one who was able to get his head on straight and fish him out of all the crazy wormholes his imagination dumped him in. In times like that, Lance really felt the age difference between the two of them.

“I just—I need to do this.” He mumbled.

“Do what?”

“I need to get her out of my life. For good this time.”

“But I thought you already had?”

Lance groaned and slouched in his chair. “Yeah… I thought so too but like I was so quick to answer her call. And I texted her back right away when I got her message. I don’t think I’ve ‘moved on’ like I’m supposed to.”

Shiro sat up, taking a deep breath that just screamed lecture time. “Okay, I’m just going to gloss over the whole phone call thing-“

“-- awesome cuz I totally forgot to tell you about that--”

“-- but do you really think you’re not over her? It’s been four years Lance, and we talked about this a lot over that time. Even when I was overseas, I made sure to check up on you. What do you think is holding you back?”

This was the very question that was bugging him for the last few days. Ever since Nyma called, he’d been wondering what possessed him to pick up. What was it about her that made her unforgettable?

“Maybe…” the answer was there; scurrying around his skull like a mouse trying not to get caught. “Maybe it’s because we never did the face to face thing? Like, after I got that text that she was breaking up with me and after we talked on the phone, I didn’t see her again. The last time we _actually_ saw each other was in the middle of a show a year ago, and I took off as soon as I could so I could avoid that. So I could avoid looking at her, knowing how badly it all ended.”

Shiro sat back, his arms crossed with a thoughtful look on his face. Lance felt his throat go dry. He wasn’t really sure if he got his point across all the way; if Shiro understood what he was trying to say. Now that he had said the words, Lance was positive that that was the reason for all of this. That was the reason Nyma always lingered in the back of his mind. He never got the closure he needed.

Now that he had someone else in his life that he wanted to get close too, Lance wasn’t about to let Nyma screw things up again.

“So that means you going to see her?” Shiro asked.

“Ye-yeah. Eventually. Honestly I’m kind of scared. What if she puts a voodoo spell on me or something and I can never date anyone again?”

“Is there someone else you want to date?”

Lance clamped his mouth shut. Yeah he had someone in mind, but he hadn’t actually said that out loud to anyone yet. He wasn’t sure if he wanted now to be the time to tell Shiro that he had a crush on Keith.

“No one r-right now. But I gotta make sure that when that person comes, I am free of any blonde hurricanes on the horizon.”

Shiro chuckled at that, raising a hand of cover his mouth. They sat in silence for a little while. Both of them sipping their coffees and watching the world outside the big windows. Lance was feeling immensely better now that he was able to pin point this problem. Now that he knew what it was, he could figure out how to fix it. With Shiro’s help of course. Lance was positive he’d need help in what to say.

“When are you going to see her? Soon?” He turned back to Lance, picking up the conversation where they left it.

“No, I probably should though. Y’know, get it over with.” He huffed. “I told her we’d meet up after the new year.”

He nodded. “You sure you don’t want to handle this before you go on your date with Keith?”

“WHAT.”

Shiro was laughing, a big smile engulfing his face. Lance was absolutely mortified.

“I-IT’S NOT A D-DATE. SHIRO. WHAT THE HELL. STOP LAUGHING SHIRO.”

“I… I can’t! Uhh, Pidge is right... you are in deep!”

“SHIRO.”

Lance sat in utter agony while Shiro continued to laugh for a minute straight. He was wheezing by the end, whipping a tear from the corner of his eye and clutching his side. People were being to stare at the two of them. Another wave of giggles hit him when he finally looked back at Lance.

“T-that was priceless.”

“I’m disowning you.” Lance grumbled.

“Doesn’t work like that, buddy.”

“I’ll make it work.”

Lance downed the last of his coffee. The bottom layer was pure chocolate syrup that had sunk to the bottom of the cup. He licked his lips and glanced over at the baked goods on display at by the counter.

“Seriously though, Lance.” Shiro had finally stopped laughing. Even his smile seemed to have vanished. “I want to make sure that you’re okay.”

“I’ll be fine _Dad_.” Lance teased.

“I can’t help it that I worry. The three of you are the reason I went gray so young.” He pushed back his bangs with a fake pout that made Lance proud.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Lance reassured.

Shiro was staring at him for a few seconds, studying his face. Probably trying to see if Lance was really going to be okay. He let out a sigh, his shoulders finally relaxing. “You better be. Finding a new lead singer would be an absolute pain.”

Lance rolled his eyes and kicked Shiro in the shin.

With that weight off his shoulders, Lance planned that little get together with a new found fervor. The time was set, the location chosen, and all the guests had been invited. Now he just had to wait.

Luckily he still had work to keep him busy. Keith’s part was done, but Coran still wanted to do three more videos with three weeks left till the dead line. If he didn’t have all this stuff taking up his time, Lance very well could have exploded from his impatience. Pidge might have argued that he wasn’t doing so well having to wait a week, but Lance felt like he was doing extremely well.

The night before the big day, Lance couldn’t sleep yet again.

It had been a very long and rainy day. The weather was a huge setback for filming. They only had a few more things to do and of course it was supposed to be outside. Everyone was bunched up in warm clothes with umbrella’s and ponchos practically everywhere. The cameras and all other expensive equipment were wrapped in plastic and hidden away under large canopies.

Every second it didn’t rain, they were filming. It was like some weird game of red light green light. They’d dash out to their marks, sheading layers of rain gear while they went. As soon as the felt the first drop they’d hurry back under some umbrella to keep themselves dry. Lance hadn’t had that much physical activity since he was on the swim team in high school. He joked about how out of shaped he was to lighten the dreary mood.

Around 6, they had finally called it a day and Lance hopped in Hunks car for a ride home. He was just too tired to walk to the train.

At first he expected to fall asleep right away. Have some leftovers, watch a little Netflix then shuffle on over to bed by 8. But as soon as he unlocked his door, Lance realized that tomorrow was Saturday. Now he more awake then he’d ever been in his young life.

Lance lay on his couch, his chin propped up on a stiff decorative pillow. He scrolled through his messages, looking at everyone’s responses and confirming what he already knew. He reread the message he sent to Keith, suddenly paranoid that he gave him the wrong time or something.

But it was fine. Meet up at 6:30 at End Game on Saturday. Everything was there. And right below that message was a yes from Keith.

Three little letters that made him want to open his window and scream until he lost his voice. Just a few hours away.

Lance reread all of Keith’s texts. They weren’t that many, but he didn’t care. It still got him excited. Lance wanted to talk to him, but felt weird just texting him out of the blue. They weren’t on that level yet where he could send him really random shit and it would be endearing. But he could text him about tomorrow. That wouldn’t be weird.

Lance hopped up, crossing his legs under him as he did. This was going to take just as much careful consideration as his invite.

Lance: _What’s your favorite video game? I need to practice so I can beat you._

_Perfect._ Lance grinned. He flipped on the TV and put his phone on the pillow next to him. After a long 10 minutes, Keith responded.

Keith: _Depends on the system._

Keith: _And you will never beat me._

Lance grinned like a giddy child and held his phone up to his nose.

Lance: _We’ll see._

Lance: _And arcade games._

Keith: _I like_ _Mortal Kombat, Galaga, anything where you can shoot something._

Lance: _Perfect. I am a master at all of those._

Keith: _I highly doubt that._

Now onto the more important things. Lance waited a few moments, trying to decide the best way to word this without sounding too eager.

Lance: _So are you excited for tomorrow?_

Lance: _Cuz I’m excited._

Lance: _I haven’t done anything fun in forever._

He stared at the screen, watching those cursed little dots move. Keith was either really excited or he was about to write some long reason why he couldn’t come tomorrow. Lance’s stomach churned uncomfortably as every second passed. It only took three minutes of this torture to get an answer.

Keith: _Yeah I am pretty excited._

Keith: _I haven’t left my place all week._

Lance felt like his hear might beat out of his chest. This was good. Better than good, this was amazing. Keith was excited about hanging out with him. Excited about tomorrow. This night could not possibly get any better. Then again, there was a way he _could_ make it better.

Lance: _This is a long shot, but do you want to meet up?_

Lance: _Like tonight?_

Lance: _I’m bored and not tired and yeah_

Lance: _?_

He tossed his phone to the other side of the couch and covered it with a well-aimed pillow. This might have been too bold. Lance wasn’t shy by and means, but Keith had somehow turned him into a blubbering fool. He felt like he couldn’t even look him in the eye without turning red.

Lance got up and went to the bathroom, splashing water on his face. He felt the water drip down his neck, sending a chill down his back. To waste more time, Lance began going through his nighttime routine. Asking Keith out at 7:45 at night when he lived on the other side of town probably wasn’t his best idea. But he took a shot and hey, maybe this would turn out to be a good thing.

After he brushed his teeth and washed his face, he trekked back to the couch. The pillow was still there, his phone under it. With reluctance, Lance tossed away the pillow.

There were 2 messages from Keith. Hopefully he would let him down easily.

Keith: _Sure._

Keith: _Where?_

Oh dear God, he said yes. And Lance hadn’t even thought of a place where they would go. _Shiiiittttt…._

Where were they going to go? What are the typical choices for a first date? The movies? No, there wasn’t anything good out and it didn’t give them a chance to talk.

Drinks? No, they were doing that tomorrow. It would be redundant.

Food? Yeah… food was always good. Food was simple and yummy and who didn’t like to eat? Who cares if Lance already had dinner?

Lance: _Let’s go to Denny’s._

Casual and fun. It was the perfect place. That and they had breakfast food which always tasted better at night.

Keith: _Really?_

Lance: _What you don’t like Denny’s?_

Keith: _Denny’s is fine, you’re just weird._

Keith: _There’s one on 7th ave and Thomas._

Keith: _Is that too far?_

Lance: _No that’s super close_

Keith: _Cool_

Lance: _Cool_

Lance: _See you there?_

Keith: _See you there._

Lance launched himself to his bedroom, tearing open his drawers and looking for his good pair of jeans and his favorite shirt. It was his lucky outfit and he needed all the luck he could get for tonight to go smoothly.

 

* * *

 

Keith was very nearly hyperventilating. He was digging around in his closet for _something_ to wear. Something that he hadn’t been sleeping in for the past week. His sweatshirt was really starting to look bad. Thank God he decided to shower today. The phone rang out again and Allura’s voicemail was the only thing that answered. As soon as Keith decided to meet Lance, he had been trying to call her. He needed someone to calm him down before this date.

On the fourth try she answered sounding panicked. “Keith? What’s wrong, you called four times. Are you okay?”

“NO. LANCE ASKED TO HANG OUT AND I SAID YES WITHOUT REALIZING HE WAS ACTUALLY ASKING ME ON A DATE.” He didn’t mean to shout, but it got his urgency across.

There was a sigh on the other end. “Yes Keith, I know. But that isn’t until tomorrow, there’s no need to worry about it now.”

“This isn’t about tomorrow, this about tonight. Lance asked if wanted to meet up tonight and I said yes and now I freaking out. ” He plopped down in the clothing pile, exhausted all of the sudden.

“Oh… oh my…”

“I need a little bit more than that, Allura.”

There was a banging sound on the other end followed by a rare curse from his friend. “Ooo! I dropped my frying pan… that’s not important right now! Where are you two going?”

“Denny’s on 7th.”

“Are you taking the train?”

“Uh no I was going to take my bike. Get there faster.”

There was little hum of disapproval that always followed when Keith even mentioned his motorcycle. Allura hated it and often called it a death trap. But Keith loved the damn thing and how fast it could go. The only reason he didn’t take it out often was to avoid her lectures.

“Alright, but be careful driving.” She finally responded.

“I know I know.” He sighed, lying back in the clothes pile. “But back to the problem, what am I going to wear?”

“Simple. You’re black jeans, a red long sleeved shirt and that leather jacket you forgot you had.”

Keith sputtered. “I- I don’t know where any of that is.”

Allura chuckled on the other end making Keith wonder why he called her in the first place. With some sort of magic, she guided him to all the items of clothing she had in mind. After spending nearly an hour in that mess a few days ago it was like she created a map to every little part of that chaos.

Keith checked what he looked like at least five times before running out the door. As soon as he hit the bottom two steps he realized that he forgot his wallet and sprinted back up the stairs.

Instead of heading out to the street, Keith leaned against a heavy metal door that led further down to the parking garage. Tucked away in the corner, covered by a tarp was his bike. The first and only self-indulgent purchase he had made in his entire young life. He kicked the tarp as far into the corner as it would go and threw on his helmet. The beast roared to life under him and Keith felt that same little adrenaline rush spike back up in him.

With his driving, he could make there in less than ten minutes.

 

* * *

 

The station was packed with all sorts of people. Lance really should have expected this. It was a Friday night after all. He squeezed into the car behind a group of people around his age, looking all dressed up and ready for a night out. And here was Lance, going to meet a boy at Denny’s.

Oh yeah, his night was going to be infinitely better than anything they had planned.

It only took him 15 minutes of this sweaty crowed train ride to get to 7th avenue. He leaped out, the cold air refreshing after that stuffy tube. As soon as he did, there was a deafening squeal.

Lance jumped spinning around until he noticed two girls a little ways away from him. By the look of things they had just stepped out of the car in front of him and if their wide eyed excited faces were anything to go by, they might have had an inkling to who he was.

He smiled, waving a little at the same time.

“You-your…”

“Yeah. I’m me.” This was the first time he didn’t like being recognized in public. He had places to go and a boy to charm and this just wasn’t a good time. Still, it’s not like he could just take off. He strode over to them. “Hiya.”

“Hi! Oh my God, I can’t believe your Lance McClain.” The taller girl was smiling like crazy while the other one still couldn’t see to get over her shock.

“Yep. It’s me. I can’t believe it sometimes too.” They both laughed a little too hard at his joke, but Lance didn’t mind too much.

The tall girl spoke again, her confidence showing. “I’m Lily and this is my fiend Mia. We are your biggest fans!”

“Thanks that’s really sweet. But I think my mom already holds that title.” Another big laugh from a pretty lame joke. Just then, Lance’s phone went off in his pocket. “’Scuse me….” He mumbled to the girls. A message from Keith was splayed across the screen.

Keith: _Beat you here._

His heart leaped up into his throat.

“Ladies… sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got a friend waiting for me.” Lance began taking a few steps back.

“W-wait! Can’t we get a picture first?” Lily already had her phone out and looked ready to chase him down if he took off. Lance glance at the stairs just behind him. Keith could wait an extra 2 minutes. These girls were super nice and also if he didn’t say yes he was terrified that this Lily girl would actually tackle him.

“Sure.” He smiled. Lance posed for a few pictures, wincing as Lily hugged him just a little too hard. He said thanks and goodbye, ducking out of another bone crushing hug.

Lance nearly fell on his face going up the stairs. He steadied himself and took things a little slower once he got to the street. There was no way he was going to meet up with Keith with a bloody nose or something else ridiculous. The streets were busy. A mixture of people going out and some trying to get home. Twice a car almost hit him as he was trying to cross the street even thought he had the right away.

All these little annoyances aside, the bright lights of the little restaurant came into view. Lance stopped and looked inside, wondering if he could see Keith from here. Sitting in a booth against the window, swirling his straw in his drink, was Keith. Lance began to smile, a little ridiculously at the sight.

It was like a scene out of a goddamn movie. There was Keith, sitting there alone with his phone on the table, glancing at it nervously while he waited. And here was Lance, tapping his foot impatiently on the other side of the street and staring at the ‘don’t walk’ sign. So close and yet so far.

The light turned and Lance took off like an Olympic sprinter. He nearly crashed into the door, realizing it was a pull door and not push only a few seconds before he got there. With his hand hovering on the handle, Lance took a deep breath.

The smell of food was overwhelming. It was nice and cozy inside, not too many people here this early in the evening. Once midnight rolls around, this place would be packed with people hit with the munchies. 2 am would be even worse. But this was the perfect time for a little ‘get to know you’ session with Keith.

Lance smiled at the hostess and told her he was meeting someone. Keith must have heard, because when Lance turned to walk over he was looking up. His heart very well could have skipped a beat at this very moment. He slid into the booth, knocking his knee against the table leg.

“I win.” Keith chided. That confident smirk gracing his lips.

Lance put on a pout. “This doesn’t count.”

“If you had gotten here first you would have rubbed it in my face all night.”

“Yes, because I didn’t cheat.” The waitress walked by, taking his drink order. Once she left, Keith glared at him.

“I didn’t cheat. I won fair and square.”

“Okay, than explain how you got here before I did? You supposedly live on the other side of town.”

“I rode my bike.” Keith shrugged, taking a sip of his soda.

Lance cocked his head to the side like a puppy trying to listen. “Bike? Unless your name is actually Elliot and you have and alien hitching a ride with you, I still don’t see how you got here first.”

It looked like Keith was trying to decide whether to laugh or roll his eyes at Lance. There was definitely a smile there and that made Lance wiggle in his seat. Finally Keith chuckled. “N-not that kind of bike. My bike, as in _my motorcycle_.”

“Motorcycle? Y-you have… you _ride_ a motorcycle?”

“Yeah. Not too often thought. I’m usually out of town.” His tone was totally nonchalant. And the way he was sitting, all cool looking with his head resting on his hand, that worn looking leather jacket just a little bit too big on him… his messy mullet that he could very well bring back into style…

Lance groaned and banged his head on the table. “Ugh… what are you doing to my poor little bi heart….” He grumbled.

“What?”

“N-nothing.” Lance sat up, his cheeks warm. Keith was staring at him, his brows angled in concern. Thank God he didn’t hear that. “So a motorcycle, huh? That gives you like, 10 more cool points.”

“How many did I have before?” he questioned.

“Zero.”

“Asshole.”

Both of them laughed.

This was going good. Like really good. So good that Lance had a hard time remembering that he only met Keith two weeks ago. There were awkward moments, like when they talked over each other when they were ordering or when Lance accidently kicked Keith in the ankle. There were moments in the conversation where one or both of them just didn’t know what to say. It was a little strange at times; definitely awkward at the worst but it was far better than any other first date Lance had ever had.

Lance wasn’t actually hungry but that didn’t stop him from ordering a two-egg breakfast plate with an extra side of hash browns. Keith got chocolate chip pancakes which shouldn’t have been adorable but it totally was. The conversation moved on to more realistic things after they had cleared most of their plates.

“So you said you’re staying in town for a while? Where you going after that?” Lance asked, spreading some jam on his almost forgotten toast.

Keith pouted a bit when he was thinking. Another charming little quirk the boy had that Lance was adding to a mile long list. “Nowhere too special. LA for bit and then I’m off to Hawaii.”

“OOoo that sounds like fun.”

“We’ll see. I’m working with this guy I absolutely _loath_.”

“Dang. You must not like him to use the word ‘loath’.” Lance joked. That got a nice little chuckle out of Keith.

“Dude you have no idea. That doesn’t even begin to explain how much I hate this guy.” He finished off his soda and pushed the glass aside. “So what about you? What’s Voltron up to after all these videos?”

“Nothing, thank God. Album drops the 20th and then I am free for the holidays. I’m gonna go home, get my mom to cook for me; it’s going to be awesome. Hey what about your family? Are they ticked that you have to work during the holidays?”

“M-my family? Uh…” This shouldn’t have been such a loaded question, but Lance felt the shift in the mood almost immediately. This sudden drop in Keith’s gaze made him curious, but he wasn’t about to let his curiosity make things difficult.

As luck would have it, the waitress came by to break the tension.

“All done?” she asked with a warm smile.

“Uh, yeah.” Lance put his silverware on the plate and handed it to her to take away. Keith did the same. The waitress left the check and Lance snatched it up before Keith even noticed. When he finally did see where the check ended up, his eyes went wide.

“You’re not _paying_ for me, are you?” Each word sounded like it had been rehearsed 20 times before he said it.

Lance grinned. “It’s only fair. I’m the one who dragged you out of your pajamas because I was bored.” He pulled out his wallet and counted out his cash.

“Lance. You don’t have to-“

“Dude, chill. I insist.”

“T-thanks.” There was the tiniest hint of pink on his cheeks. It made Lance’s heart soar.

They sat around for a little while they waited to settle the bill. Lance decided to stay far away from the family subject considering the bad reaction it got. Instead he listens as Keith told him about his trip to China. Lance hadn’t traveled much outside of the US, not counting his two trips to Cuba for gigantic family reunions. Hear all the crazy shit Keith had done in just one foreign city gave him the travel bug something fierce.

The waitress finally came back and Lance insisted that he didn’t need change. They stood up and shuffled their way out, the place finally picking up after a slow start.

The sky was rumbling, the rain from earlier today working up into a full out storm. Lance zipped up his jacket when the stepped outside and prepared himself for the rain that was sure to come.

“Hey, do you want a ride home?” Keith asked, looking up at storm clouds.

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. It looks like it’s going to pour soon. I bet I can beat the storm.” There was that smirk again looking so damn natural and good on his stupid face.

Getting a ride home sounded great, but it was on a motorcycle. Lance had never ridden one in his entire life due to his mother and her innate ability to overreact to literally everything. She swore up and down that he’d break his arm if he ever rode a skateboard. When he was nine and his older brother surprised him with that very gift, it took 40 minutes until they rushed to the emergency room after Lance had broken his wrist. It wasn’t his arm but still, she was kind of right.

But that decade old fear wasn’t going to stop him from spending more time with Keith.

“Alright. But please don’t kill me.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “C’mon, nerd.” They followed the side walk to the parking lot, all the spaces taken up by various different cars. Squished between two cars very crookedly parked was Keith’s bike. Lance watched from the sidewalk for a little bit, soaking up the image of his crush standing next to a motorcycle. This was getting too much to handle.

“Here.” Keith was looking at him, holding out a helmet.

Lance grabbed it and then realized that there was only one. “You don’t have one? That’s not very safe, dude.”

“I only have the one. I’ll get another if we do this again.”

_If?_

One little word that sent a parade marching in his head. Keith seemed completely oblivious to his words and the effect it had on Lance. It was a good thing too. His heart was thumping so fast he was sure Keith could have seen it beating underneath his jacket, if he was paying attention.

Lannce slid on the helmet and gave Keith a thumbs up. Keith swung his leg over the seat, hiding his face. Lance followed his lead, the metal beast roaring to life while he did. Now Lance had seen enough movies to know that the person sitting on the back of the motorcycle hung on by hugging the person in front of them. There was literally no other way to hang on. The idea of hugging Keith… he was both nervous and excited all at the same time.

“So, “ Lance cleared his throat while Keith was busy zipping up his jacket. “I’ve never ridden one of these so if I start to like, suffocate you please don’t take it personally.”

_Or y’know, do._ Lance thought afterwards.

Keith laughed, a clear and light sound. “Don’t worry. You can’t be as bad as Allura. She bruised my rib the first time I took her out for a ride.”

“Allura?! But she’s so tiny?”

“Tiny, but stupidly strong. She could probably beat Hunk in an arm wrestling match.” Keith revved the engine, pulling forward a tiny bit to look passed the parked cars. “You ready?” he turned and focused one of those blue grey eyes on Lance.

Afraid that his voice might crack or something else embarrassing, Lance just nodded and wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist. He held on kind of lightly, wrestling with his urge to hold on tight and never let go and with making a good impression. However all of that went out the window as soon as Keith pulled on to main road.

Lance latched onto Keith, earning a oomph and a loud burst of laugher from the driver. He shut his eyes quick and felt the helmet push up against Keith’s shoulder. The only thing stopping him from full out screeching was the fact that his jaw seemed to clamp shut.

Keith probably wasn’t going too fast, but his constant weaving around cars made it feel like he was on a roller coaster. After about five minutes, they pulled up to a stop light.

“You alright back there?” Keith asked; the smile thick in his voice.

“Y-yeah. Of course I am.” Lance tried to sound confident, but there was no way Keith was buying it. Especially since Lance was squeezing him so damn hard.

“Hey, where do you live?”

“Oh yeah.” They forgot to go over that before they hopped on the dreaded motorcycle. Lance gave him the cross streets and a few second later the light turned green.

Keith zoomed off, albeit a little slower than before. Deciding to try out his bravery, Lance let go a little bit. The city looked different from some reason. The yellow street lights looked a little more serene, the people walking by a little more mysterious. Even the air that was usually bogged down with car exhaust and grim felt clean and fresh rushing past his face. Blame it on the incoming rain, but Lance swore it had something to do with the company he was with.

It only took about ten minutes to get back to his place, the ride feeling like such a wonderful break in the monotony of Lance’s daily train rides. Keith pulled up on the sidewalk right to his front door. Lance hopped off, his adrenaline pumping after that.

“Dude. That was… that was just-“

“Awesome, right?”

“Yeah! I have got to learn how to drive one of these one day. Then we could race and I could totally beat you.”

“Okay, first off that’s illegal on the streets. And second, how many times are you going to challenge me to something you know you’re going to lose?”

Lance pulled off the helmet and fluffed up his hair. “Blame it on growing up with 5 siblings. Everything turns into a competition.”

Just then the first drops of rain trickled down from the clouds. Both of them looked up as lightning streaked across the clouds. Lance glanced over at Keith who was still watching the sky.

The closest Lance had ever come to gambling was the random little mini games that were scattered through various video games. He took chances when it came to messing with his siblings. He took a risk by letting his sister upload their stuff online. And he took a hell of a chance asking Keith to hang out with him tonight. But right now, Lance hoped that he had enough luck for one last gamble.

“Hey Keith?” The rain was coming down evenly now, beginning to drip down his cheeks. Even so, his throat never felt more dry.

Keith turned to him, his bangs clinging to his face. “Yeah?”

“Do you… would you want to do _this_ again?” Each word felt like it had to be forced out. It’s not like he didn’t want to say them, he was just scared that once they were out there, he’d be shot down.

“We’re hanging out tomorrow…?” Keith looked confused. The meaning behind Lance’s words completely lost on him. For a moment, Lance wanted to bang his head against the wall. Was he really this dense?

“Not like that. I mean, do you want to… to go out again some time? With m-me? Just with me.”

Keith’s eyes went wide, his jaw dropping from surprise. This might have been pushing it one too far. Lance could already feel Keith’s rejection choking all the air from his lungs. All this time he thought… he hoped that this was going somewhere. That Keith might have felt the same and was willing to take this risk. Apparently that wasn’t the case.

Lance tried to hide his disappointment behind a smile. It felt forced, but it was the only thing he could think to do. “Never mind. Just forget I said anything.”

“Lance-“ Keith seemed to regain some sort of sense back and took a step forward.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Lance, wait-“

“’Night Keith…”Lance jammed his key into the door and pulled it open quickly. He just wanted to get away.

“Lance!” The helmet clattered to the ground as Keith lunged forward. One hand shot out and caught the door, while the other latched on to Lance’s arm. For his part, Lance was rapidly turning red. His back was pressed against the door jamb as he stared down at Keith. There was something different brewing behind those eyes. Something that reminded him of the clouds high up in the sky. Lance had no idea what to make of it.

“…Keith? What are you-“his voice was abruptly cut off by Keith lips crashing against his own. And crash was really the most accurate word. It felt weird at first, the feeling of someone else’s lips press against yours. It’s an act that only comes around when you’re just bursting with too many feelings. Feelings that you’re desperate to share with someone else. Lance was dumbstruck by the sudden action and all the fervor behind it.

It took a second for Lance to realize what was happening. His body was tense and stiff and recognizing this Keith, kept made sure to keep a space between them. But just as he was about to pull away, Lance finally relaxed. Lance abandoned his keys and pulled Keith closer, one hand cupping the boy’s cheek and the other finding a place on his back. Keith melted against him, fitting against Lance’s body like a goddamn glove.

Feeling breathless, Lance pulled away ever so slightly resting his forehead against Keith’s own. They both stared at each other, processing what just happened.

Suddenly Lance smirked. “Y’know, you could’ve just said yes.”

“What?” The look on his face was priceless. Like a confused little puppy.

“When a guy askes you out? You don’t have to make-out with him, you can just use your words.” Keith tossed his head back and groaned. Lance chuckled. “Use your words Keith.”

“You’re and idiot.” He finally mumbled, turning his attention back to Lance. There was the nicest shade of pink on his cheeks that Lance wanted to stare at forever.

“Aww those aren’t nice words…”

“You’re ruining the moment. Just shut up already.”

“Make me.”

There was a wicked grin on Keith’s face before he rushed in to kiss Lance again. This one was less getting to know you and more of I want to commit every bit of you to memory. This time no part of their mouths were off limits. Tongue’s trailed over teeth, skimmed the insides of cheeks and brushed against each other more times than Lance could count. This definitely wasn’t PG rated.

Lance felt like he couldn’t get close enough to Keith. His body felt strangely cold. The only heat coming from the persons who lips seemed permanently attached to his own. His hands ran up and down Keith’s back, savoring the warmth that seemed to radiate from every inch of him. Eventually his hands came to a stop at Keith hips. The touch made the other boy gasp. Lance grinned wickedly at the sound and held on a little tighter.

Without either of them realizing it, the two of them were slowly moving out of the doorway. Not towards the direction of the nice warm building, but back out towards the rainy street. The door clicked shut behind them. That seemed to break the spell, both of them looking at the door and them back at each other. Keith looked like he’d run about ten miles. His cheeks were bright red, his chest rising and falling in his own unique rhythm. It was just too damn adorable to handle.

“You- uh- kiss… good.” Keith stuttered, pulling away so that the two of them could breathe.

Lance bit his lips, trying not to laugh. “R-right back at you, mullet.” There was still an inkling giggling in his voice that did not go unnoticed. Keith playfully punched him in the arm.

“Shut up. Don’t make fun of me.” He wiggled out of Lance’s arms and glared at him. “What else are you supposed to say after making out with someone?”

He probably expected a serious answer, but this was Lance he was talking to. Serious didn’t apply in this situation. “How about ‘thanks for the treat, sugar lips’?”

Keith’s playful smile dropped instantly as he glared at Lance with the words ‘are you shitting me?’ plastered across his forehead. “Really. Sugar lips? You are such… such a…”

“… charmer?”

“Dork.”

“Ouch. That one hurt.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ll get over it.”

Lance chuckled. “So then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow? And then some time after that?”

“Yeah.” There was that blush again.

The rain was still falling softly, both of them protected by the little alcove where the front door was hiding. Keith turned and watched it fall. He stuck his hand out into the rain, the water pooling in his palm. There was something serene about the whole thing. The rain falling, Keith’s hair still kind of wet and sticking to his face, his helmet lying on the sidewalk where he dropped it. It was kind of well…beautiful, if he had to pick a word. Something special that you don’t get to see to often.

Words began floating around in his head. Word’s coupled with this incredible feeling he hasn’t been able to name for weeks. His fingers twitched and suddenly, he had the urge to play his guitar.

Lance went to unlock the door, only to realize that his keys weren’t in the lock any more. He patted his pockets, pulling out the ones on his jacket and then began scanning the ground. They were nowhere. Suddenly, Lance had a realization.

“Son of bitch…” he looked through the window and low and behold, his keys were on the other side.

“What’s up?” Keith turned back, his attention pulled away from the rain.

“Any chance you know how to pick locks?”

He frowned. “Uh, no?”

“Great… now I have to call Pidge…” Lance pulled out his phone with a groan, wishing that Hunk was the more responsible one.

“Did you lock yourself out?” Keith leaned on the wall next to him. It was pretty clear he was about ten seconds away from laughing at him again.

“Hey, I’m blaming you for this. If you hadn’t decided to distract me with all your hot boy charms I wouldn’t have dropped my keys.” There were a few texts from Pidge, but he decided to ignore them and went straight to calling them.

“W-what the hell?” Keith had turned red. Not that cute little blush but straight on red. Like a bad sun burn. “Did you really just use the phrase ‘hot boy charms’?”

“Deal with it. I’ve got _tons_ more where that came from.”

Keith just shook his head, the look on his face somewhere between a smile and a scowl. It amused Lance to no end.

The phone rang a few times before Pidge finally answered.

“Finally!” they sighed, sounding a little more than relieved. “I’ve been texting you for almost an hour.”

“Really? Oh, my phone must have been on silent. Hey can you come help me? I locked myself out.”

There was another loud sigh that sounded a little too dramatic even for Pidge. “Did you even read your messages? Something big just happened online.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Just, check the links I sent you. Matt and I are coming.” With that they hung up. Lance frowned, absolutely confused.

“They leaving you out to freeze?” Keith joked.

Lance shook his head, opening up his messages. “No, they’re on the way.” There were 13 messages from Pidge, most of them links to various trashy websites that liked to gossip about every type of celebrity. Voltron had yet to be featured on any of them, mainly because all of them lived pretty normal lives. No crazy parties or relationship drama, nothing worth chatting about. Until now, apparently.

The first link Pidge had sent was an article with a headline that seemed to scream in his ear.

**Breaking News: Voltron front man Lance McClain on a _date_ with famous supermodel?**

And there was a picture. A creeper shot; taken from the street outside of Denny’s. There was Lance and there was Keith, smiling at one another in a pretty ridiculous way.

Panic gripped him like a boa, tightening with each breath. The change hadn’t gone unnoticed and Keith hesitantly put his arm on Lance’s shoulder.

“…Lance? Are you okay?”

He looked up at Keith, suddenly aware that he had slide down the wall and was now sitting on the ground. Lance blinked a few times before he was finally about to respond. “So you know how like, 10 minutes ago I asked you out on a second date?”

“Uhhh yeah? What’s going on?”

Lance held up his phone, the article still open. Keith’s eyes went wide.

“Looks like the whole world already knows about the first.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here you thought everything would be all perfect when they got together lol. Still more to drama to come my dudes :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first date got off to a rocky start and Lance worries that the second won't even happen. Keith does his best to steer him clear of any of those thoughts.

Lance was pacing, muttering something under his breath every other step. In all honesty, Keith wanted to the exact same thing. He was a mess of energy after Pidge’s big discovery. He was riding high on cloud 9 after he kissed Lance and for a moment there, if felt like nothing was going to bring him down. And then he came tumbling down so fast he swore he got whiplash.

However right now, sitting in Lance’s very spacious apartment for the first time, Keith wasn’t thinking about all those trashy news sites or the fact that his manager was probably going to give him and earful tomorrow. No, Keith couldn’t seem to think about any of that right now. His mind seemed to have gone completely blank due to the rather large poster of himself hanging on the wall in Lance’s bedroom. The door was open just wide enough so that he could see it from his spot on the living room couch. The sight of it turned him into a puddle of embarrassment for some strange reason.

Really it was Lance who should be feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. It was his place after all. Keith made a mental note to bring this up later, but for now any and all teasing was on hold.

“… how the hell did this happen?” Lance reached the end of his apartment for what felt like the hundredth time, he spun around and prepared to make another lap. “I don’t understand how this could have happened, Pidge?!”

Pidge had their laptop open on the kitchen table, fingers flying wildly on the keyboard. Next to them was their brother Matt. He looked almost identical to their younger sibling. So much so that Keith had to remind himself that they weren’t twins. There was a good four year difference between the two of them. He seemed pretty cool, a little quieter than Pidge, but given all the drama Keith hadn’t really gotten a good read on the guy.

“Well… it looks like the photo was originally uploaded on Instagram at…” Pidge entered in a few more key strokes before clicking on something. “8:24. A girl with the username LilyFlower465.”

Lance broke away from his route and leaned over Pidge’s shoulder. His eyes narrowed and he reached over to scroll down. “Son of a bitch… I know that girl.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah well, no not really.” He crossed his arms, an annoyed look on his face. “I ran into her and her friend on my way to meet Keith. She’s a – _fan_.” That last word came out sounding all sorts of passive aggressive.

“Yeah. I can see that.” Pidge was still scrolling on their laptop, probably still on the girls Instagram.

“She must have followed me from the train station.”

Keith’s embarrassment quickly subsided and was replaced with annoyance. He’d always been more a private person. The line between his professional and personal life was more like a 50 foot wall; made up of concrete and whatever Captain America’s shield was made out of. To have someone scale it so easily and blast such an important night out to the world, it was aggravating.

The more and more he thought about it, the more pissed he got. “So now what.” He asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

He didn’t do too great of a job of that though. Lance glanced at him for a moment. A fleeting glance that looked worried and something else that he couldn’t quiet put his finger on. Whatever that was, Keith instantly felt his stomach drop. It was clear that Lance was upset about all this, and how could he not be? Having a private moment like that marred was aggravating as all hell. But Keith had a feeling that Lance might be feeling a little more than just angry. Maybe he’s feeling a little guilty too. That thought tugged on Keith’s weary heartstrings and nearly made him wince.

He had no idea what to do to make Lance feel better about all this. He wasn’t really good with his words; definitely more of an action oriented person. Hence the kiss earlier. Keith knew that Lance was asking him out again but he was so shocked that the connection between his brain and his words were temporarily severed. Not even seeing Lance’s heartbroken face was enough to get his jumbled thoughts in order.

So he kissed him. Keith kissed Lance in a desperate attempt to say yes, because the word wouldn’t just fall from his lips. That same insane action wasn’t going to make Lance feel any better now. Well not in the way he needed. Keith frowned, frustrated at himself.

Of course, Lance wasn’t going to dwell on those feelings for long. Mere seconds later, he was covering up that moment of insecurity with a joke. “I’ve got it. Witness protection program.”

Matt snorted while Pidge banged their head against the table. “Laaaaance.”

“It’ll work! We’ll get new names, new identities. I’ll bleach my hair and Keith, you’ll have to cut off the mullet-“

“Ugh,” Keith groaned and pushed himself off the couch, his worries dropping as soon as Lance flashed that smile. “Again with my hair. What is it with you and my hair?”

Lance’s voice dropped to a monotone. “It’s a _mullet_ , Keith.”

“It’s not a mullet for crying out loud… it’s just _long_.”

“Shhhhh…. stop fighting it. Just embrace it Keith. Embrace you’re inner hillbilly.”

“H-hillbilly?” he stuttered. “I don’t even… you are so… ugh whatever. I give up.”

“Whoohoo! Point one for me!”

“Enough with the bickering already.” Pidge groaned. “You guys have been dating for two seconds and are already acting like an old married couple.”

Both boys flushed with embarrassment and avoided each other’s eye. They hadn’t exactly had ‘the talk’ yet and Keith still was a hesitant about thinking about Lance as his boyfriend.

“Now, back to the problem…” their eyes narrowed as they focused on the screen. “I can hack into the girls Instagram account and delete the original post. Now there are at least 8 different sites with the same photo. I can either send them a very nice email asking them to take it down or I could just delete them all myself. Your choice.”

Keith and Lance finally looked at one another, neither of them sure of what to do. Honestly, Keith wanted it all to disappear. He wanted to keep that night the way he remembered it. Their first date. Their wonderfully awkward first date that somehow lead them to planning a second one. Now he was afraid of only remembering how shocked Lance looked when he found out. His own sudden panic when he saw a photo of himself that he did not approve first. God, this was annoying.

Matt cleared his throat, speaking for the first time since the introductions. “Deleting the photo might do the opposite of what you guys want.”

“Huh?” Lance asked oh so eloquently.

“Well think about it. If you guys take it down or ask the websites to take it down, you’ll draw more attention to it. People will be ten times more curious to see what you guys tried to cover up.”

Pidge nodded. “You might have a point, big brother.”

“It happens all the time if you think about it. Celebrities try to cover something up and it just turns out to be an even bigger and juicer story for the media. I think you guys should just leave it be. You know, ride it out.”

“Ride it out…” Lance repeated back.

“Honestly that might be the best way to go.” Keith looked up and everyone’s eyes were on him. Squirming a little under the sudden attention, he turned to Lance. “What do you think?”

Lance faltered again, his true worries bleeding though an otherwise calm mask. There was something he wanted to say. Something Keith could see, but not quiet read. Maybe if they were alone it would be easier to say it out loud.

Finally, Lance spoke. “It uh, up to you.”

“It’s up to the both of us.” Keith said firmly. That earned a grin from Lance.

He mulled it over for a bit, his arms crossed and hand up to his chin. Turns out, Lance’s thinking face was incredibly adorable. Like a hyper little kid play acting at being serious. Keith sudden found himself distracted by all the little details that made Lance _Lance_. He counting the freckles scattered on Lance’s cheeks, gaped at the long lashes that would make any girl jealous, and smiled at the dark blue nail polish that had chipped in a few spots.

A little while ago he had his tongue down Lance’s throat, but there was still a whole lot he didn’t know about the guy. A whole heap of details he’d yet to discover. It was kind of an exciting thing to think about.

“Let’s ride it out.” Lance concluded.

“Sounds good to me.”

“And me.” Pidge shut their laptop, sliding down in their seat. “Way to go Matt. You did something smart.”

The older boy shrugged, a grin on his face. “I have my moments.”

“Welp I don’t think we’re needed here anymore. Ready to take off?”

“Yeah.” The two siblings pushed themselves up from their seats, almost in unison. Matt strode over to the door and opened it for Pidge. “We should let these two get back to their date.”

“Ooo yeah. They probably have a lot of making out to do.”

“And cuddling.”

“Don’t forget staring into each other’s eyes.”

“How could I?”

“OKAY YOU TWO CAN GO.” Lance practically shoved Matt and Pidge out the door. The both of them were laughing manically as they went, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet hall. The door slammed shut behind them and for a moment, Lance peered through the peep hole. Unsure of what to do, Keith just stood there and waited.

Lance sighed and finally turned around. “They’re gone.”

“Now I see where Pidge gets it from.” Keith commented.

“Yeah. When the two of them are together its like, a whirlwind of sass. Sometimes they finish each other’s sentences so fast, it’s like they share a brain.”

“It’s that just what having a sibling is supposed to be like?” He asked, truly curious.

“Eh, not always. Like I’m close to all my brothers and sisters, but not like Pidge and Matt. I guess just growing up with one sibling makes a big difference.”

Keith nodded thoughtfully, trying to imagine what it would be like growing up with someone else. Living in the same house, playing together, eating together, getting in trouble together. It sounded a little weird but to the world, his situation was the weird one. There was nothing strange about having a family. Not having one, now that was something you didn’t hear every day.

“So I guess that means you’re an only child?” Lance’s question interrupted his thoughts. Dragging him back to the fact that he was still just standing in the middle of his apartment.

“Er, yeah. You could say that…” Keith didn’t want to talk about his family. Or really the lack there of. It was something he’d made his peace with a long time ago, but the looks he would get from people? The pity and the sadness, it wasn’t something he liked to see. And he definitely didn’t want to see that from Lance on the night of their first official date. Luckily Lance must have picked up on his aversion so he changed the topic completely.

“Hey I’m sorry that this all happened. This- this is not how I wanted this night to go.”

“Me either.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with all this? The whole waiting it out thing? Cuz if not, I can get Pidge back here and they can help-“

“Lance, its fine.” Keith tried to sound reassuring, but it didn’t seem to work.

“I just…” Lance grew quiet. His voice almost too soft to hear. “I just can’t believe I ruined our first date.”

Keith rolled his eyes. _So that is what was worrying him._ He closed the distance between them with a few steps, lifting Lance’s chin with his hand. “You didn’t ruin anything, you nerd.”

“But I did. That girl was following _me_. Not you or anyone else. Me. Look at it any way you want, but it’s still my fault.”

This was side of Lance Keith never expected. He came off so confident and goofy, loud and a little conceded. But this? This deep rooted insecurity was a shock. Thinking back to the first few times they talked, right after that fight over the phone and the conversation they had afterwards, this had always been there. This other side of the otherwise exuberant Lance McClain. This side was quiet, but not calm. It showed just how venerable he could be. How he was riddled with all sorts of anxieties.

Keith sighed, not really sure what to say or do.

“Y’know, the nights not over yet.” He tilted his head and tried to catch a glimpse of those bright blue eyes.

“It’s nearly one.”

“So? I’m not tired. Are you?” Lance thought a moment and then shook his head. “Then let’s keep this date going. Make up for what happened. If you want, that is…”

Lance seemed hesitant at first, that whisper of insecurity still lingering on his face. But eventually it gave way to a smile and Lance nodded eagerly. Keith took his hand and led him to the couch where he quickly made himself comfortable by kicking off his boots. Lance scooped up the remote and clicked on the TV. Not very subtly, he scooted close to Keith and laced their fingers together humming contently.

“Thanks Keith.” He murmured.

“No problem.” Keith wasn’t too sure how he helped, but seeing that easy smile back on Lance’s face was enough to tell him that he did something right. Whatever Lance was going through, whatever anxiety that got riled up in the past hour, he was able to calm it. It was a tremendous feeling, warm and bubbly and pretty soon, Keith felt himself blush. With this feeling fresh in his chest, Keith just had to ask.

“Um, does this mean… are we… are we d-dating now?” Moments like this, where he stutters and trips over his tongue are why Keith prefers not to speak sometimes. But this was just too important and he wasn’t going to let his stupid nerves get the better of him right now.

Lance flushed, biting his lip. “I mean… yeah? I’d like that. I’d like to call you my… _boyfriend_ if you’re cool with that…”

Keith’s stomach did about five somersaults when Lance said the b-word. He glanced down at their hands. “Yeah. I’m cool with that.”

An easy calm washed over the two of the, actually visible as the two sort of melted into one another. Shoulders and hips practically conjoined and chests rising and falling in the same rhythm. Keith was glad he spoke up.

“So what do you wanna watch?” Lance asked, hopefully unaware of Keith’s very pink cheeks.

“Uh, I don’t care. You choose.”

“Awesome. Have you ever watched Naruto?”

 

* * *

 

“…and then after Pidge and Matt left Keith was all like ‘let’s hang out more’ and at first I was like ‘ugh, my place is a mess, he is totally gonna judge me or whatever’, but we actually had a really fun time! I made him watch Naruto, and I’m like 90% sure when he said he hated it, he was lying and actually really into it. Just too cool to admit it though.” Lance had to take a breath. He realized that he said all of that without breathing once.

Hunk chuckled loudly on the other end, making Lance have to pull his phone away from his ear for a second. “Wow you two really hit off, huh?”

“Yeah! And honestly I was really worried there for a second. I mean, yeah were starting to date or whatever but I still don’t know a lot about Keith. I was well…”

“Well what?”

Lance paused for a moment, wondering if he should go on. He brushed off that hesitation as soon as it rolled into his mind. This was Hunk he was talking to. His best buddy in the whole wide world. He could tell Hunk anything.

“I was kind of worried he’d run off. That he’d dump me as soon as Pidge and Matt left.”

“Why?”

“Well it’s kind of a big thing, y’know? Having some crazed fangirl post a creeper shot of you on the internet. I was worried… I was scared he would blame me for the whole thing.”

“But he didn’t, right?” Hunk asked.

“No. He was actually pretty calm about the whole thing.”

“That makes sense. Keith is pretty famous on his own, and has been longer than any of us. He’s probably had to deal with crap from the media before and knows how to handle himself.”

That was something that hadn’t occurred to Lance last night. Seeing Keith in real life was much different than staring up at him on a billboard. Especially considering how different he looked when he wasn’t posing in front of a camera. But the two of them were one in the same and he had probably been dealing with shit like this for years.

Funny though, for as much as Lance stalked him he never remembered seeing anything tabloid-y on him. Maybe Keith was just really cautious when it came to his personal life. That thought sent Lance spiraling back down into despair.

“Hunk he’s going to break up with me.” He whined, falling face first on to his bed.

“Dude no he’s not. You’re just getting all paranoid about nothing.” Hunk sighed and Lance could just imagine the look on his face. “If he was going to break up with you, then why are we still all going out tonight?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s a pity date.”

“You are ridiculous. Don’t make me call Pidge.”

Lance sat up quickly. “Please don’t! They’ll just laugh at me.”

“Yeah, because you’re being silly. Keith is fine. You’re fine. The two of you are fine. You’ve only been dating for like, 10 hours.”

“10 hours and 23 minutes.”

“I should have expected you to know the exact time.” Hunk laughed again.

They two said their goodbyes and Lance hung up the phone feeling a little bit better. He still could not believe that this had happened. Maybe he should start being a little more cautious when dealing with fans. Polite yes, but cautious.

It looked like him and Keith weren’t going to start as smoothly as he had hoped.

The gravity of tonight was severely cut down by the fact that Lance had already been on a date with Keith. Tonight was supposed to be a big step towards that end goal, but they had already reached that milestone. That didn’t mean that Lance wasn’t any less excited about the event. He couldn’t wait to see Keith again and hang out with him with all his friends around. It was like the perfect little day dream.

That day dream was inherently ruined when his phone began to ring. Lance stared at the name, the one he changed as soon as Keith left last night. It said ‘hurricane’ in all capital letters.

Lance dropped his phone and pulled the covers over it. There was no way he was going to talk to Nyma today and have her pull him down from this high. Instead took a long hot shower, singing loudly as he tested out words to a melody that had been floating around his head for the past 10 hours and 24 minutes.

 

* * *

 

Keith nearly over slept. Thank god he remembered to plug in his phone last night, or he very well could have slept through his second date with Lance. Allura called at around 4 to get him up and moving. As much as he wished he had been sleeping for the last few hours, part of that time was eaten up by his manager Greg talking his ear off.

This was the first time anything like this had happened to Keith. Him and Greg had worked very hard to keep him out of the tabloids and considering Keith never really did anything except work and sleep, it wasn’t too hard. Hanging out with an up and coming rock star apparently had its hang-ups. Greg wasn’t mad, amused mostly. He gave him the whole spiel about being careful and how important his public image was to his career, on and on like he was reading from a script. At the end of it all, Greg mentioned that he thought him and Lance made a pretty cute couple. Keith abruptly hung up, his cheeks flaring.

Now it was time to get ready. Keith dragged himself out of bed and tumbled into the shower, the warm water waking him up. After taking way too long, Keith wrapped his hair in a towel and began rummaging through his closet for something to wear.

“…you’d think I’d be good at this by now…” he grumbled, tossing aside yet another stolen shirt. Even though he worked in fashion, he still had a hard time putting together outfits for himself. He gave up, instead grabbing the same jeans he wore last night and a flannel with the words ‘I believe’ screen printed on the back. His hair was still kind of damp when Lance texted him.

Nerd: _T minus 1 hour and counting._

Nerd: _Ready to paaaarty??_

Keith smiled, running a hand through his hair.

Keith: _You know it. Just don’t cry when I beat you at everything._

Nerd: _When I cry, it’ll be the manly tears of victory._

Keith: _Omg why do I like you?_

Nerd: _I mean there’s like a hundred possibilities_

Nerd: _buuut I’m going to say it has to with my dashing good looks_

Nerd: _and my butt._

Nerd: _I have a cute butt and I’m kind of proud of it._

Nerd: _You okay? You haven’t answered in a while._

As a matter of fact, Keith was not okay. He was currently lying with his face buried in his pillow positively flustered at his new boyfriends overwhelming confidence. It was charming as fuck and damn did it leave him a little breathless.

They had just seen each other a few hours ago, but for some reason it felt like weeks. Keith couldn’t wait to see Lance again. To see that big stupid grin and those pretty blue eyes. He couldn’t wait to whack him in the arm when he did something embarrassing like this. Keith pushed himself up and unlocked his phone.

Keith: _You’re an idiot._

Nerd: _Is that Keith-talk for you think I’m awesome??_

Keith: _It’s English for ‘you’re an idiot’._

Nerd: _Awww thanks babe!_

Nerd: _I think you’re awesome too!_

Nerd: _See you soon!_

Keith flushed again at the affectionate nickname and texted a quick reply back.

Is this what _that_ felt like? This sweet and easy feeling that bubbled up in his belly and made him grin uncontrollably. This was only the first day he was dating Lance and already he felt a little overwhelmed. But in a good way. In a very good way.

Allura rang right before 6 to pick him up. Keith grabbed a jacket and his beanie and hurried down the stairs to meet her in her car. She was much more excited about tonight than he realize and all of that had to do with Shiro. Keith nearly forgot his friends crush on the man after dealing with his own crazy feelings. But now, sitting next to her on their way to meet them, she couldn’t seem to stop talking.

On and on, dropping Shiro’s name more often then she should have convincing Keith even more that she should just suck it up and ask him out. He decided to talk to Lance about it when they got there. Maybe the two of them could play matchmaker.

“Hmmmm.” She hummed, slowing down. “Now where do we park?”

The place wasn’t busy yet, still a little too early for most of the party goers. There was a garage on the opposite side of the street that looked reasonably priced. Allura swung around and pulled into the garage, heading up to find a spot. They pulled in smoothly and Keith noticed someone behind them do the same.

“Speak of the devil…” Keith hopped out and slung on his jacket. “Hey Shiro.”

Shiro’s head popped above the other parked cars. “Oh hey Keith. What great timing.” Allura appeared moments later, her hair tangled in her pale pink scarf. “A-Allura! Good to see you.”

“Oh, hello Shiro.” She instantly smiled and slung her bag over her shoulder. “Nice to see you too. What perfect timing.”

“Y-yeah.”

Matt slide out of the passenger seat followed shortly by Pidge from the back. They grinned and looked up at Shiro, their brow raised. “Are you warm? You look a little red, Shiro.”

“N-no. I’m fine! L-let’s get going. Lance and Hunk are already grabbed a table.”

Keith practically sprinted to Pidge and Matt, doing the proper wingman thing by leaving Allura to walk alone together with Shiro. He glanced back and grinned at the future couple chatting away a little awkwardly. Pidge snickered into their hand. Matt turned and looked more often then he should have. Making it obvious that they had stuck them together on purpose.

He leaned over to others and giggled. “You were right Pidge. He’s got it bad.”

“Right? Ugh tonight is going to be so much fun.”

“Pidge.” Matt’s voice had gained a scolding edge to it. His eyes narrowed at his younger sibling. “Don’t go running one of your crazy schemes to get them together.”

“Awww why not?” They whined. “It worked with Lance and Keith.”

“Wait, what?” Keith whipped his head towards his short friend, but wasn’t given an answer. Pidge held up their hand and basically blocked Keith from the conversation.

“I am a genius and this plan will work.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “You may be a genius, but you’re not cupid. Let those two be all awkward and cute on their own.”

“Fiiinnnnee….”

It seemed that the age difference between the two had given Matt a sense of maturity that Pidge was sorely lacking sometimes. He may have been just as quick witted as his sibling, but he wasn’t nearly as mischievous.

The group crossed the street and walked up to the bar. Keith handed over his ID to the bouncer and waited while the man inspected it with a keen eye. Once inside, he scanned the room for Lance. Keith didn’t have the highest expectations for this place when Lance first suggested it. Quite honestly he expected a knock off Peter Piper with warm beer and cardboard stiff pizza. This place was anything but.

As soon as you entered there was a big rectangular shaped bar that had TV’s behind it playing The Neverending Story. The lighting was cool and dark with graffiti style video game characters decorating the walls. Tall tables and booths were tucked into the corners and on his right were all the arcade cabinets. There were tons of them, ranging from every game imaginable. Keith gaped at sight, seeing games he hadn’t touched since he was a kid.

“KEITH!”

Keith was practically tackled before he could turn towards the noise. Lance wrapped him up in a bear hug nearly lifting him off the ground. Okay, now his feet definitely weren’t touching the floor anymore.

“Lance!? C-calm down, already!” he tried to sound annoyed, but it came out as a barking sort of laughter.

Lance spun him around once before setting him down gently on the floor. Before Keith could say anything, Lance leaned in and kissed him. It was kind of brief, nothing like the handsy make out session they had yesterday, but that’s what made it all the more special. It was just oozing with fondness.

Once they broke apart Keith bit his lip, the heat rushing to his cheeks so damn fast.

“I missed you.” Lance said simply.

“We just hung out last night.” Keith deadpanned.

Lance untangled himself from the hug and slung one arm around Keith’s shoulder, guiding him to the table. “So I’m just gonna warn you now, but you’ve probably already noticed, but I’m a bit of an extrovert. I need constant attention or else I’ll die.”

Keith rolled his eyes, bumping Lance’s hip with his own. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

While the two of them had their little moment, everyone else had already spotted Hunk and were taking their places around the table. Well, it was more like two tables pushed together to handle the seven of them. Lance slid in next to Hunk, but not before pulling a chair out for Keith with a dramatic flourish. Keith rolled his eye again, but the action was actually very sweet.

_Shit. This boy is going to give me a cavity._

A waiter came by and took everyone drinks order, Keith indulging in something called an Asteroid just because of the name. As he sat back and listened, he noticed just how easy the whole thing felt. Sure this wasn’t his first time hanging out with the band, but usually he felt uncomfortable with a group of people this size. Usually he felt out of place. Right now, sitting with Lance’s knee bumping against his own, he felt… happy.

“So are you two _official_?” Hunk asked with a sunny smile.

“Facebook official.” Lance grinned.

Keith slapped his forehead with his hand, groaning. “What does that even mean?”

“It means,” Pidge leaned on the table with their chin propped on their hands. “that Lance had already changed his Facebook status to ‘In a relationship’.”

“Really?” Keith looked over to Lance who was trying to hide the blush on his cheeks by flipping up his collar.

“Anyway…” Lance fumbled, looking for something else to talk about.

Shiro poke his head in this time. “You guys doing alright after that picture came out? Pidge texted me about it last night.”

“Oh yes, I forgot to ask you about that, Keith.” Allura turned to him, her eyes glimmering with concern. She knew how private he was and was probably worried. Keith took a sip of his drink, the alcohol warming up his belly.

“We’re alright. It was kind of jarring, but I think we’re okay?” Keith answered, glancing at Lance.

“Yeah.” He nodded in agreement. “It’s annoying as all hell, but something like this was bound to happen to one of us eventually. Just why did it have to be meee…?”

“Just your luck, I’m afraid.” Allura smiled sympathetically at the two to them. “Let’s not dwell on the depravity of others and just have fun. Shiro, what was that game you were telling me about? I want to try it.”

Shiro grinned confidently and lead her to the arcade. All of them watched the two go.

“So.” Lance nudged Keith with his elbow. “Ready to go?”

“You know it.”

The two took off without so much as looking at the others. Keith perused the cabinets, looking for something familiar to get started. The arcade part of this place was bigger than he first realized, continuing on in a room behind the bar. Behind him, Lance was at a change machine loading up on tokens for them to use. Keith spotted what he was looking for and grinned.

As soon as Lance came over, pockets bulging with tokens, he held out a plastic blue gun.

“You are going down.” Lance grinned, sliding a few tokens into the machine.

“You wish.” Keith took the red gun in his hand and pressed the button for two players. The game screen flashed, blocky looking aliens suddenly dropping into their line of fire.

Lance wasn’t actually too bad. Surprisingly, Keith was the first to have to enter in more tokens after getting blasted by some alien gun and getting a continue screen. However, Lance’s overzealous attitude after that quickly became his downfall. Lance died four times before they made it out of the level, much to his dismay.

After that the two boys flitted around to different games, sometimes playing against each other, sometimes going it alone. Sometimes Lance would just stand back and watch as Keith masterfully dominated every game he planted himself in front of. Lance became his personal cheering section and Keith would be lying if he said he didn’t just love it. After teaming with Allura and Pidge in a confusing match of Battle Toads, Keith made his way back to the table.

Hunk and Matt were still there, chatting. Keith plopped onto his chair followed closely by Shiro. The older man sighed taking a gulp of water.

“Allura kicking your ass?” Keith asked, fully knowing the answer already.

He nodded, looking something akin to fond. “I forgot how competitive she could get.”

“Just be happy there isn’t air hockey here. She’s been known to throw things when she angry.”

That got a nice chuckle out of the table. A few minutes later Lance hurried over to the table, grabbing Keith’s hand.

“C’mon. There’s something I wanna try.”

Keith wasn’t sure what that something was, but he obliged his hyper new boyfriend and followed. Lance led him to and arcade classic, _Mrs. Pac Man_. It wasn’t one of Keith’s favorites but Lance seemed really excited about something.

“Okay. Stand here.” He held on to Keith’s shoulders, guiding him right in front of the machine. “Now put your hands behind your back.”

“Uhh… why?” he asked.

“Humor me.”

Keith rolled his eyes and did as he was told, holding his hands behind his back. Lance put in a token and hit the start button. Right as the screen lit up with the first level, Lance slipped his arms in the small space between Keith’s own arms and waist. Keith froze, feeling Lance’s breath on the back of his neck.

“I’ll be the arms, you be the eyes.” His voice was soft, the smile clear even though Keith couldn’t see his face. “Tell me which way to go.”

Keith caught on to just as the game started and grinned. But that grin was dashed as soon as the red ghost came barreling towards them. “Go left!” he half laughed half shouted.

Lance giggled behind him and moved the joystick.

“Up! Go up!”

“Where’s a power up? Keith, lead me to a power up!”

“Ugh I can’t! Blinky is being a dick.”

“You actually know the ghosts names?”

“Focus Lance. Right! Turn right!”

“Got it!”

“YOU’RE OTHER RIGHT, LANCE.”

“Oops…”

The two were a mess, laughing like they were a bunch of lunatics off their meds. He may have been trying to win at first, but after a while Keith was just savoring the fact that Lance was wrapped around him and laughing so hard he could feel it bouncing across his back. They were still on the first level, only a few more pellets away from a pass.

“Okay go up- aw shit its Inky… back down!”

“Which one’s Inky?”

“Does it matter? Shit!” Two of the ghosts cornered poor Mrs. Pac Man. She disappeared in a pixelated blip.

“Aww we lost…” Lance whined, leaning his chin on Keith’s shoulder.

“I blame you.”

“What? Why?” Lance sputtered. “I was just following _your_ directions.”

Keith spun around and faced Lance, draping his own arms over the other boy’s shoulders. “Not very well.” He teased.

Lance frowned. “Well maybe you just suck at giving directions.”

“Maybe you suck at listening to directions.”

“Maybe we should switch places?”

“Let’s do it.”

The two them switch places with Keith being the arms this time. Lance slipped in another token and the game started. This time around didn’t go as well as the first, Lance having accidently make them run right into the orange ghost, but after switching back and forth for a few more rounds they actually got pretty good at the whole teamwork thing. But all that practice took a lot of tokens and pretty soon they used up their last one.

Hours had passed since they arrived and now the place was packed with people. Keith looked around at the crowd that seemed to just appear out of thin air. He squeezed through the mess of people and struggled to get back to their table with Lance following close behind. It looked like he wasn’t the only one slightly overwhelmed by the noise. Everyone was back, finished up their drinks looking antsy.

And hungry apparently. Pidge was holding their stomach in a pathetic looking way and tugging on Hunk’s arm. They kept asking him if he had any snacks in his pocket, which by the sound of things was actually a pretty common thing. Shiro suggested finding someplace to relocate and eat and everyone hopped on board with that idea.

Keith paid for his and Lance’s drink and then headed towards the door. As soon as he did, something strange crossed his eye.

There was a small group of girls and guys standing outside. Young looking. Too young to get into a bar. They were leaning over each other and standing on their tip toes trying to get a look inside. Keith grimace and quickly ducked back into the bar.

Lance stopped, confused. “Keith? Everything okay.”

Keith shook his head and pointed to group. Lance started at them, a little confused. It wasn’t until Shiro and Hunk passed them that he realized that those girls and guys were Voltron groupies. Pidge made it out safely, using Allura and Matt like a shield. Lance groaned, dragging his feet to stand next to Keith.

“I really do not want to deal with _that_ right now…”

“Better get used to it.” Keith commented sympathetically. “You are a rock star.”

“As much as I love a good compliment, that is not something I want to hear right now.”

The tone of his voice almost made Keith flinch. It was clear that Lance was very grateful to his fans, after seeing first hand just how open he was at concerts and how often he gave shout outs to them on his Instagram and whatnot. But a line had been crossed last night and it would take a lot more than just Keith reassurance to get accustom to the change.

Keith tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. “Want to slip out the back?” he asked.

“The back?” he tilted his head to the side. “There’s a back door to this place?”

“Every place has a back door.” Keith took Lance by the hand and led him back deeper into the crowd. They pushed and scooted their way to a small hallway that led to the bathrooms. Passed those two doors was another marked employees only. Lance’s grip on Keith’s hand tightened for a moment, his nervousness leaking through. Keith turned and smiled, showing his own confidence.

He pushed open the door and poked his head through, checking if the coast was clear. The only person in the back was a guy with his headphones on, rolling an empty keg across the floor. Keith booked it, holding onto Lance’s hand tightly as he hurried to the exit door. There was one shout as the two of them passed an open office door but neither of them turned back to look.

Lance and Keith barreled out of the back door, stumbling into a dark alleyway. They hurried away from the back door, both a little paranoid that whoever yelled at them would follow them out there. But it looked like they were all in the clear.

“And we’re good.” Keith said after they had put a good distance between them and the back of the bar.

“Now why didn’t I think of that?” Lance was still looking over his shoulder, checking.

“”Cus you’re not too good at thinking on your feet.”

“How rude!” He gasped, in an over exaggerated Lance kind of way.

Keith just shrugged, not willing to take back the comment. A few minutes later, he got a text from Allura asking where they two of them were. Keith texted back, explaining their escape in a few words as possible.

“Hey, Allura just asked if we still want to go grab a bite with them.”

“Ummm,” he put his finger to his chin, thinking. “Well I am kinda hungry. We could meet up with them or…”

“Or?”

“ _Or_ we could just go somewhere. Y’know, just the two of us? _Alooooone_?” Lance wiggled his eyebrow in an almost cartoony way. Keith just stared at him, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to figure out just what about this weirdo was so damn charming. He turned away quickly just as the blush began creeping up his neck.

“God, you are such a _nerd_.”

“Sooo no alone time?” Lance was pouting again, but this time there was a touch of something genuine about it. He really was concerned that Keith didn’t want to spend time with him alone.

Keith rolled his eyes and texted back Allura. “I’ll tell her you’re taking me out to dinner.”

A big goofy grin spread across Lance’s face. It lit up everything around him. The dirty alley, the cloudy night sky; suddenly everything looked and felt like scene out of a movie. Keith felt a warm sensation in his chest and suddenly he was smiling like an idiot.

“Wait a minute; didn’t I buy dinner last night?” Lance asked.

Keith looked forward, prepared for this argument. “And I bought drinks tonight.”

“That doesn’t count. Food cost more than drinks. OH and I bought the tokens tonight!” he exclaimed.

“Damn… I forgot about that.”

“So that means y _ou’re_ buying _me_ dinner.”

“Fine. Where should we go?” he grumbled.

Lance didn’t hesitate. “I know this great burger place.”

He turned abruptly, leading Keith out of the alley and back on the main sidewalk. Keith looked down and was suddenly surprised. They had been holding hands that entire time and he didn’t even notice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this took forever, but at the same time it felt like I rushed it?? idk. Either way I'm sorry this update took a little longer than usual. I'm actually writing two fic's right now, one here and the other on ff.net because I have no impulse control lol.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thank you for all the comments and kudos!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real life interrupts Keith and Lance's budding relationship. That and a certain blonde who reminds Lance of a natural disaster. (aka Nyma's a bit of a bitch)

Dating Keith was more than Lance could ever have imagined. Having been in one very serious relationship and a few not so serious ones, Lance thought he knew what to expect venturing into this bond. But he was continually taken by surprise. And it wasn’t like big, earth shattering surprises, but small things, tiny really, which made the all the difference.

Like the way Keith let him hold his hand whenever he wanted. The way he’d listen intently whenever Lance was rambling on about something. How he’d run his fingers through Lance’s hair whenever they kissed. So many little things like that that made his heart soar.

Unfortunately, Keith was a working boy and he was currently on a plane to LA.

The three weeks they had before his trip was too much fun and now Lance was left incredibly bored. He’d taken the time to take Keith to the airport, thinking ahead and borrowing Hunk’s car for the job. He gaped at the size Keith’s luggage. Not because it was big, but because it was super tiny.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re taking for a whole month and a half??” He stared at the carry on sized black bag, poking at it with the toe of his sneaker like it might vanish. Keith looked a bit out of it this morning, Lance having kept him all night talking. He was sporting his favorite sweat shirt with his hair pulled back and out of his eyes.

He stared up at Lance, a small smirk on his lips. “I got everything I need.”

“This would last me three days. Four at most.”

“Well I’m not as high maintenance as you.”

“Rude.” Lance popped open the trunk and loaded in Keith’s bag. He stared at it again. It looked even smaller in the empty space of Hunk’s trunk. Lance looked over to his boyfriend and raised a brow.

Keith rolled his eyes, shifting the garment bag he carried over his shoulder. “Stop judging my stuff.”

“Not judging, babe. Just observing.” Much to Lance’s utter joy, Keith blushed at the nickname. It happened every single damn time and Lance just loved to see him get all flustered. He wondered if he’d ever get bored of making Keith blush.

Sidestepping Lance, Keith went to the backdoor and carefully laid out the garment bag on the back seat. Apparently he was expected to go to some sort of launch party for a designer and needed to dress fancy. Lance whined a bit when he realized he wouldn’t be getting to see _Fancy Keith_ ©, then again he was also whining about the fact that he wouldn’t see Keith for a whole six weeks.

Dating a model might be a bit harder than he anticipated.

The two piled into Hunk’s funny little car and head towards the airport. The traffic was busier than Lance had guessed and they ended up skipping breakfast. As they pulled into the parking garage, Lance noticed something that made him perk up.

“Hey, your hair…” he turned off the car and reached over to Keith. His fingers trailed over a messy French braid that was nearly unnoticeable in Keith’s dark mane. “Damn. This was not one of my best.” He joked.

“Better than anything I could do.” Keith shrugged. “How’d you learn how to braid anyway?”

Lance played with a loose strand of black hair. “I have three sisters, remember?”

“Oh right.” Keith looked down, playing with the end of his sweatshirt.

“What time’s your flight?”

“7:45.”

“Fuck, we gotta get going.”

Lance and Keith hurried out of the garage and into the building, the elevator to the check in counters moving at a snail’s pace. Without having any bags to check he breezed through that line and soon they were standing in front of the security line. Keith stood there looking fairly unreadable with his ticket in his hand. Lance glanced at him from the corner of his eye and wondered just what he was thinking.

Was he sad about leaving so soon? Excited? Or was he just bored? It was hard to read Keith sometimes. That was something he’d figured out long before they started dating. When he wasn’t flustered or smiling of laughing, his expression was stoic and thoughtful. Full of so many things that Lance wasn’t able to read yet. Like now. Clearly there was something on Keith’s mind, but Lance had no idea what that might be.

“So, ready to go?” Lance asked, looking for a reaction.

Keith looked down at his ticket, checking for the hundredth time that they were at the right spot. “I think so.”

“I guess I’ll see you when you get back?”

“Yeah…” Keith turned slowly, his gaze planted on the ground. There was something sitting on the tip of his tongue. Something that was making him blush. Lance tilted his head down slightly, looking for those storm colored eyes hiding behind dark lashes.

Just as he was about to say something, Keith let go of his carry on and slipped his hand on the back of Lance’s neck. He pulled him down the extra inch and kissed him. This wasn’t a simple good bye kiss either.

In the three weeks they had been dating, Lance learned that Keith wasn’t big on PDA. A little peck on the cheek here or handholding there was totally far game, but big displays of public affection just made him downright uncomfortable. So the fact that Keith Kogane was sucking on his bottom lip like it was fucking popsicle on a hot day, holy hell did it send a shiver down his spine. Down his spine, to his toes and them shooting back up to his brain like an electric current.

Lance cupped the side of Keith’s face and tilted his head so that he could get more. So he could taste more, feel more, be more. When they finally broke away, Lance was sure that a kiss like that could only happen once in a century.

“You’re all red…” Keith smirked almost manically, his brows tilted in a teasing way.

“S-so are you.” Lance cursed himself for stuttering, making him look even more like a fool than he already did. With a light chuckle Keith kissed Lance on the cheek one last time before letting go and grabbing his bag.

“I’ll text you when I land.”

“Really? I don’t know, dude. I feel like your smothering me.”

“Oh shut up, you doofus.” Keith playfully shoved him. He took a few steps back, his smile dimming for a moment. “I’m gonna miss you…”

The softness of that statement nearly made Lance keel over. Damn, he was going to miss this boy so much. He brushed off any sadness he might have had and put on a smile; for Keith’s sake as well as his own. “Aw c’mon! I know I’m irresistible, but you got to get out there and make some of that sweet money. I’m practically a starving artist. In a few years, no one will care about Voltron and you’re going to have to support my ass.”

Keith slapped his forehead with his hand, groaning. “I hate you so much.”

“I know.” Lance giggled. He wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders and placed a kiss on his forehead, hugging him tight. “See ya soon.”

“Yeah.”

One final wave and Keith walked up to the closest TSA agent. Lance waited and watched him go through security. He waited and waited, not having any plans for the morning besides more sleep. Every once and a while he’d catch Keith’s eye from a distance and grin as the other boy blushed. It was so pink against his pale skin Lance imagined you could see it from the fucking moon.

Once Keith was through and collecting his stuff from the conveyer belt, Lance’s phone went off in his pocket.

Keith <3: _Stop stalking me._

Lance: _Stop blushing like an anime character._

Keith <3: _You are such a nerd._

Lance: _And you like it ;)_

Keith <3: _Yeah. I kind of do._

They texted all the way until Lance made it back to the car. He sat in the driver’s seat with the windows rolled down and giggled at all the things they said. At long last, Keith had to turn off his phone by order of the stewardess. The sudden stillness of his phone felt weird, after it had been going off consistently for the past 30 minutes. Lance leaned his head back and sighed.

He was absolutely head over heels for this boy. This month and a half was going to feel like a year. And they had just started to get a rhythm going. Now they were going to have to figure out this whole long distance thing. Because the reality was that this was the first trip of many. Both for Keith and for Lance himself. The two had met at an incredible time when neither of them had any serious obligations for an entire month. Sure Lance had still hade video’s to shoot, but that only took up a part of his day. He still had the nights and weekends to hang out with both his friends and his new boyfriend. But starting in the spring, he’d be going on tour. A three month long excursion across the country that gave absolutely no time to come home.

And Keith? Keith’s schedule was even more chaotic with the fashion industry never really taking a break. It was a year round, 24/7 business that would always be clawing for one of its biggest names. And despite his humble attitude and casual demeanor, Keith was still famous and in high demand.

Lance shoved they keys into the ignition and turned, his head feeling like it might explode. He needed to do something, be somewhere else right now. All of these thoughts were just way to damn depressing to have at the beginning of a relationship.

So he thought of happier things, like Christmas being a week away and getting to overdose his mother’s cooking. He thought about family and presents and his siblings and all the wonderful things the holidays had to offer. And then he thought of Keith who would be working. Lance’s mind started churning as he began to brainstorm things to do to make his boyfriend’s holiday a little brighter.

Lance went straight to Hunk’s to drop off his car and then nearly fell asleep on his friends couch. He staggered to his place, a mere three blocks away from his own, and nearly fell flat on his face when he saw who was sitting on his stoop. Nyma was sitting there, in all her annoying glory. Her long blond hair enveloped her slim frame, looking almost like another layer of clothing. A coffee cup was steaming in her hand. She must have just gotten here a few minutes ago.

Lance thought about running for it. Just spinning around and booking it. But his place was all nice and warm and he had left over pizza from hanging out with Keith last night that was just begging to be eaten. With a tired sigh, Lance trudged forward.

Blonde hair bounced enviously as Nyma turned. Her face melted into a familiar smile as she pushed herself up off the steps. “There you are.”

Her voice was just as sweet as he remembered, the true tone of it marred but their one and only phone conversation. Lance squirmed, already dreading whatever it was she had to say.

“Here I am.” He answered dryly.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” She tilted her head, eyes wide and almost innocent.

“N-no I haven’t… I’ve just been busy. And y’know holidays coming up or- whatever…”

“Oh come on, Lance. You know I can tell when you lying.”

 _I know, and it’s aggravating as all hell._ Lance bit his lip, regretting his decision to hang around. He should have run when he had the chance. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” A couple of beats passed in silence. “So, are you going to invite me up?”

Nyma motioned over to the door and Lance groaned. This was going to be hell, but he might as well get it over with. He needed to have a talk with her. Lay everything out and end whatever this was for good. Especially now that he had Keith. Granted, Keith didn’t know anything about Nyma and the storm that she hurled at Lance’s life, but he still didn’t deserve this. Didn’t deserve having his boyfriend be distracted by some ex. So Lance took a deep breath and dug his keys out of his pocket.

The two of them rode the elevator in silence, Nyma humming some random tune softly. Once inside his apartment, Nyma walked around like she was on eggshells. “This is a pretty nice place you have here.”

“Thanks… it’s a little messy.” Lance looped around her and closed his bedroom door quickly.

“Please, compared to your bedroom at your parent’s place this is spotless.” She giggled.

“Yeah, I guess you got a point there.” He smiled back, but really only out of politeness. It felt so weird seeing her, in person, after all this time. “So… how’s life?”

Nyma set her drink down, unbuttoning her jacket. “We’re just going to gloss over the fact that you’ve been ignoring me? Real mature Lance.”

“Well sorry I have other things going on.” Lance protested. “You’re not exactly on the top of my priorities anymore.”

Her eye’s narrowed. “Wow. I didn’t realize you could be so cold.”

“Neither did I, but things have changed since you took off.” All the words coming out of his mouth were tough and hollow, but that’s how she left him four years ago. Left him with all these emotions that were too overwhelming to sort through. The only one that seemed to be poking through was anger. Lance thought back to this morning, back to those sweet moments with Keith. It kept him grounded.

Nyma tapped her finger against the table incessantly.

“Sorry…” Lance murmured. “That was kind of harsh.”

“Yeah. It was.”

“I just… you really hurt me Nyma. I thought that- that things were going so well and then you… you _texted me_. Who texts a guy to tell him that it’s over?”

“It’s the 21st century. Everyone texts.”

“Well duh, but I thought I’d get a little more than that. We went out for three years.”

She sighed at that, a sad look on her face for the first time since the conversation started. “I know.” She licked her lips, struggling with words for a moment. “I never told you I was sorry, did I?”

“Not that I remember.”

“Well, I am. Sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Lance felt something in him click. Like a light switch deep in his chest had finally been turned off after being left on for far too long. The words meant far more than he could ever have imagined. “Thank you. It really means a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled warmly and then crossed her arms. “Alright. Now it’s your turn.”

“My turn?” he frowned, his relief slowly souring.

“To apologize. For the last year we were dating.”

Lance stared at her, utterly confused. He thought back to that time, senior year in high school. He remembered being in class with Nyma, going to football games together, playing his guitar on the quad for her; what the hell was she talking about?

“What are you talking about?” he asked, vocalizing his thoughts.

Nyma shook her head. “You really don’t remember?”

“…no?”

“You barely had time for me that year. You we’re always so focused on your band that I hardly ever saw you.”

Lance blinked slowly. Yeah that was the year things kind of began for them, and yeah he remembered holding up in their little studio after school a lot, but he always made time for his girlfriend. He always made time for his friends.

“Whoa _whoa_ … so, let me get this straight, you’re saying that I didn’t hang out with you enough? Nyma, we had three classes together and if remember, I always invited you when me and the guys were practicing.”

“Ugh you still don’t get it…” she shook her head and there was almost a smile on her face. “I didn’t want to go to that crummy like place you guys pretended was a recording studio. I didn’t want to listen to you ramble on for an hour about some stupid lyrics you dreamed about. I wanted my boyfriend to take me out to dinner and buy me cute shoes and- and- ugh I just wanted to be appreciated every once and a while!”

“What for a second made you think I didn’t appreciate you? I was practically in love with you Nyma!”

“Yeah and you had a funny way of showing it. It’s no wonder I went with Rolo when he showed up. At least he cared.”

The inside of Lance’s mind went white. Completely stark white and everything seemed to vanish. Except of course those cruel, cruel words that were just spoken. Lance moved his jaw a few times, his voice not quiet working yet. When he finally did find his voice, it sounded strained beyond belief. “You… you’re _implying_ that it was my fault? Th-that you cheating on me was my fault?” He ran his hands through his hair, his breath shuttering. “I cannot believe you just said that.”

“Well it’s the truth. Rolo paid attention to me, so I-“

“What do you want Nyma?” Lance looked up at her, exhaustion settling into his body. Nyma looked a little startled with the sudden change of subject. Lance continued. “I mean… you started talking to me out of the blue, showed up here all the sudden, why? Why are you doing this?”

A warm smile spread on her lips, the soft gesture looking completely out of place what with the conversation they were just having. “Don’t sound so dramatic, Lance. You make it sound like I’m torturing you.”

Lance chuckled dryly. She didn’t realize that that is exactly what all of this felt like.

“Lance.” Nyma took a step closer which made him freeze. “I was thinking, ever since Rolo and I split a few months back, I was thinking about well…”

He saw where this was going. Oh hell no, there was no way she was really thinking about this.

“I was thinking we should give things another try.”

Lance was very close to busting out laughing. He held it in, coughing to cover up his sudden spasm.

“That is a hell of a way to ask me out.” He breathed. But she looked incredibly sincere about this. She really, actually wanted to try again. What in the hell was going on? Lance shook his head a few times, his disbelief finally settling. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed. “No?”

“No.” he said again more firmly.

“Can I ask why?” her tone had sharpened. It sounded more curt and higher pitched, like she was just on the edge of yelling.

“Because I don’t want to get back with you. I never did after we broke up. And, not that you care, but I’m seeing someone right now.”

“What? Who?”

“No one you know.” Lance didn’t want to tell her about Keith. He wanted very much to keep that happy little part of his life far from her. One day, he’d tell Keith about Nyma, about how she broke his heart and all that, but he wasn’t going to say a word about him to her. She didn’t need to know, didn’t deserve to know. It’s not like they were going to be friends after this anyway.

Nyma crossed her arms and stared at him coolly. She was working up to something that much he could tell. Her voice was steady when she spoke. “Well, I doubt the girl you’re dating now is half as hot as I am. Probably looks like a toad.”

Okay, now Lance couldn’t hold in his laughter. It was just too damn ridiculous, this girl trying to make him jealous or whatever. It really was weird that she wanted him back all the sudden, but Lance didn’t dwell on that thought. He didn’t care what Nyma said or did anymore because he had someone else. He had Keith.

“What are you laughing at?” She huffed.

Lance wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and took a few breaths. “It- it’s just… whew, sorry I’m good… it’s just that my _boyfriend_ is so much hotter than you, you have no idea.”

“B-b-boyfriend?!? Since when… I didn’t know… wait, you’re gay??”

“Bisexual. I came out to you when we were like, 15. Don’t you remember?” This really did come as a shock to him. Nyma was one of the first people he told, after Hunk, Pidge and Shiro of course. They were all warm-ups for when he finally built up the courage to tell his parents.

“I didn’t think you we’re being serious.”

That one kind of hurt. “You didn’t think…? Damn Nyma, you are just… you’re just so different from who I thought you were.”

It was a strange feeling, seeing someone you’d known for so long suddenly deteriorate in front of you. Lance may not have been on the best terms with her, but that didn’t mean Nyma wasn’t important to a younger version of him. He still had good memories of her when they first started out. But now all he wanted to do was pour bleach onto that part of his memory and forget everything about her.

“I think you should go now.” Lance pulled open the door and waited.

Nyma leaned back on her heels, frowning. It looked like there was still a ton she wanted to say, but the look on Lance’s face was enough to keep her quiet. She walked slowly to the open door, stopping for a moment to glance up at him.

“…Lance?”

“Goodbye, Nyma.”

She rolled her eyes and walked out the door, her shoes clicking loudly. Lance closed the door quickly and then locked it for good measure. He leaned his back against it and slowly slid down to the floor. This was not the way he wanted to spend his morning. Lance felt drained, physically drained after having all of that dumped on him. And just a few hours ago Keith was kissing him in the airport, making him feel like nothing could ever go wrong ever, if he just held on to that moment. Apparently that was only daydream.

It hurt. It hurt more than he thought it would. It hurt that Nyma blamed him for all their troubles, it hurt to know she didn’t really care about all the music he had shared with her, it hurt that she didn’t take him seriously when he came out to her. All these things he remembered turned out to be complete lies and it all just _hurt_.

Lance shuffled over to his bedroom, crawling on his hands and knees because he was too lazy and tired to actually stand. He went straight for his dad’s guitar and popped open the case. He began strumming mindlessly, laying on his back and propping his feet up on his bed. Different tunes made their way to his fingers, some that he made up and some that he memorized from listening to them on repeat. He hummed along, making up words and stringing them together. 

It all sounded like nonsense for the most part. Chords clashing against words, the parts lining up for a brief second before they fell out of sync again. Just the sounds of the guitar were comforting. The feel of the strings vibrating under his fingertips, the way his hands instinctively moved to the next chord.

He chest buzzed as he sang, rising and falling rising and falling. The sound was breathy and quiet, almost like a whisper. It felt good. It felt comforting. It felt natural.

It’s not like he was trying to create a masterpiece or anything, Lance just needed to calm down, to get his mind out of the past and focus on the now. Focus.

“ _When the world is rough…and… and…”_

Whatever journey those six words were about to take him on was rudely interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. Lance sighed and pulled it out, careful not to drop it on his face.

Keith <3: _Why in the hell is there a Denny’s menu in garment bag?_

It looks like Keith’s plane landed. Lance snorted, completely forgetting the little surprise he snuck into Keith’s stuff.

Lance: _Just something to remember me by ;)_

Lance: _Look inside!_

Lance: _I drew you a picture._

Lance: _Actually I drew several_

Keith <3: _Did you really go back to Denny’s_

Keith <3: _steal a menu_

Keith <3: _and then draw on it with sharpies so you could hide it in my stuff??_

Lance: _What can I say? I’m a romantic._

Keith <3: _You’re such a dork._

Lance: _Thanks babe <3 <3_

The tension that had built up in Lance’s chest finally began to fade away.

 

* * *

 

There was no time to rest. As soon as Keith got off the plane, he was sent straight to a photo shoot. His stuff was tucked into closet for safe keeping and then he was plopped into a chair to wait for the makeup artists who were running late apparently. Lucky for him, he was a little early. Allura wasn’t on this trip, unfortunately. The photographer who was hired for this job was very particular about who he worked with so he had to go it alone this time around. Keith leaned back, turning the music up on his iPod and tried to take a quick nap.

Someone kicked the leg of his chair and made him yelp. He turned to the culprit and grimaced. “Oh, it’s you.”

Behind him was a very tall and very built looking young man. He had gages dangling from his ears and a tattoo on his right arm that looked like an electrical current. This was the person Keith was dreading to see.

“Hey Keith, long time no see.” He smirked, his voice teasing.

“Yeah, long time no see…” not that I care.

“Still acting like you’re too cool for everything?”

“Still pretending that ‘Sendak’ is your real name?”

Sendek practically growled, his ears turning red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, little man.”

Keith could help his own smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “Oh nothing. Just remembering a simpler time when you did infomercials, Harold.”

Sendak turned red, his head whipping around and looking panicked. “Shut up! Someone could have heard you!” he hissed.

But Keith couldn’t shut up. Sendak (aka Harold) was one of the few people he worked with that he truly despised. He was overly obsessed with working out and never wore a shirt when he didn’t have to. Among many other character flaws, he was also a bully; ordering around the assistances on set like they were his own personal slaves. So when Keith discovered from their very talkative manager that Sendek changed his name a couple years back to ‘reinvent’ himself, he sure as hell wasn’t going to keep quiet about it.

“What’s wrong? Don’t want anyone to know about your secret identity?”

“Careful squirt. I could pound you without breaking a sweat.”

“I seriously doubt that.” He deadpanned.

The door swung open behind them and a group of harassed looking individuals hurried in. The photographer screeched at them, ushering them over to where Keith and Sendek were. All conversations ended as the makeup artist began their work.

It irked him a bit when they took down his hair. He kind of liked the way the French braid looked. Well, more like he liked the person who put it there. The strands fell against his cheek, wavy from being in the same place for so long. Keith suddenly felt a little homesick.

It was a hectic day to say the least. They must have put him at least five different outfits, all of them requiring a different hair style and a different set. Keith was sitting around waiting just as much as he was sitting in front of the camera. He and Sendek where both wearing the same things, taking turns. It wasn’t supposed to be a competition, but it definitely turned out to be on in Keith head. There was no way he was going to let a dick like this guy beat him out of cover spread.

Stepping in front of the camera for the last part of the shoot, Keith could feel Sendak’s eyes boring into his head. He tried to hide his smirk, but just wasn’t able to. The big jerk got a less than stellar response from the photographer. Keith wasn’t really one to gloat, but he couldn’t help but feel great about it. Ten minutes in, the man was lying on the ground and rolling and stretching like a cat. In his experience, that was a good sign.

The day ended around 7, Keith utterly exhausted from staying up all night. The little naps he snuck throughout the day helped but he really needed a long deep sleep. Dragging his stuff to the cab, Keith couldn’t wait to get to bed. But he and Lance had already planned to Skype later tonight and there was no way he was going to miss that.

The apartment where he was staying was owned by the agency. It was huge and looked more like a hostel than anything else with a big kitchen and sitting area and a few bedrooms. It could hold up to twenty people comfortable or thirty uncomfortably, with bunk beds, roll away beds and fold out couch. Keith had stayed here many a times when he was younger, and always thought it was weird. He got used to the noise and the chaos that sometimes occurred, but mostly kept to himself. This week he wasn’t going to have to deal with people.

There was only on other person staying here, a guy he’d met in passing. He already claimed one of the smaller rooms; a sigh taped to the door reading ‘occupied’. Keith went to farthest room, the biggest out of all four. Still the four beds in here made it look tiny. He dropped on to the closest mattress, face first.

The only thing that kept him from falling asleep was the thought of talking to Lance. He chuckled a bit in to the pillow. It was a strange feeling, caring so much for someone that even the thought of talking to them made you feel this excited. Keith tore open his bag and pulled out his laptop, scrounging around for an outlet for his charger. He text Lance to tell him he was ready. Not two seconds later, Skype started to ring.

Keith clicked on it, taking a moment to adjust his hair went he realize just how weird it looked.

“…Keith? You hear me?” the screen was black for a moment, and then Lance’s fuzzy image came into view. He smiled wide, making Keith’s stomach flutter.

“Hey buddy, I can hear you.”

“Aww your hair’s all fluffy.”

Keith blushed and quickly tried to smooth it down. “Shut it.”

Lance laughed; the sound sounding all distorted and weird on the lap top speakers. As his camera came into focus, Keith noticed that he was sitting on his bed with a guitar in his lap. Lance was strumming quietly, the sound barely audible with the dull speakers.

“So how was your day, hunny bunny?” Lance grinned.

“H-hunny b-bunny?” Keith sputtered. “What the hell, Lance?”

The other boy burst out laughing, the guitar twanging almost matching his laughter. Keith turned down the volume on his speakers and scowled.

He waited until Lance had calmed down a bit. “What’s with the embarrassing nick names all the sudden?”

“Anything to see you blush is totally worth it.” Lance answered quickly. “Aw c’mon, you know you like it.”

“Not as much as I like your lips.”

Now it was Lance’s turned to get all flustered. “WHAT-“

“Payback’s a bitch.”

Lance fell back onto his bed, but before he did he flipped off the camera. Keith laughed a little manically at the sight. A few seconds later, Lance reappeared much redder then before.

“You are going to regret this, Kogane.”

“Bring it on McClain.”

The two of them began bantering back and forth for a good 10 minutes. One big thing they had in common was their competitive natures. While Lance got his from his siblings, the only reason Keith was as competitive as he is was because of how stubborn he was a kid. Some of those old habits still made their way into his life now.

After Lance made fun of Keith’s hair for a third time, they rolled into the normal questions. How was your day, do anything fun, how was work, what’d you have for dinner; all things that were pretty standard. Keith talked so much that his mouth had begun to feel dry. And that’s when he noticed something.

The little sparks that always hide in Lance’s eye waivered. At first Keith thought it was just the camera. The Wi-Fi here was pretty shitty, but things were actually running pretty smoothly. The call hadn’t dropped once. But the more he and Lance talked, the more he could tell something was off. After wrapping up telling Lance about Sendak and there unspoken competition, Keith decided to say something.

“Hey so, are you okay?” he asked.

“Huh?” Lance’s hand stopped, hovering over the strings of his guitar.

“Are you okay? I don’t know, you just seem a little… off?”

Lance looked down, plucking a few of the strings slowly with his long fingers.

“Is everything okay?” Keith prodded. Usually he wasn’t this pushy with people. If they didn’t want to talk, then he’d just leave it there. But this was Lance he was talking to. Lance wasn’t the quiet one. He wasn’t usually this reserved. Keith frowned, wondering what could have happened in the span of a day.

“Lance?”

“I’m… I’m okay.” He finally spoke. His voice quieter than usual. “I just had a bad day.”

“Do you… want to talk about?”

“Uhh… not right now. I kinda just want to forget it for a little while. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Keith hesitated for a second, trying to think of something else to say. He then realized he left out the best part of the Sendek story. “Sendak’s real name is Harold.”

“Pffttt what?” There was that smile. That big genuine Lance smile.

“His real name. I guess he changed it a while back. But yeah, Sendak is actually Harold.”

“How the hell did he come up with a weird name like that?”

“It’s probably then name of a protein powder or something.”

“Probably.”

 

* * *

 

Lance had a new routine. He’d wake up, send a cheesy good morning text to Keith, and then go about his day. Sometimes Keith would respond right away, but sometimes it wouldn’t be for hours. The boy could really sleep in when he wanted to. The new album dropped without much trouble, although Lance still felt a little guilty that he wasn’t able to get another song on there. Shiro reassured him, telling him that it really was just a suggestion but Lance couldn’t help but feel kind of like he failed. But then he had Keith to distract him.

He seemed to be working nonstop, their Skype calls usually ending with him falling asleep after a long day. Lance didn’t mind watching the boy sleep, but he wished that it wasn’t on his laptop screen. He wished that Keith was lying next to him. Oh the woes of a modern relationship.

The best distraction ever came when Lance headed home for Christmas. Lance practically dove into Hunk’s car as the two prepared for the long drive. Hunk looked just as excited.

“Dude I’m so excited.” Hunk pulled onto the road as soon as Lance bucked his seat belt.

“I know, me too! I can’t wait to eat my mom’s food.” Lance gushed. In his head were dancing tamales, red chili and homemade tortillas. His mouth began to water.

“I can’t wait to eat my mom’s food. And your mom’s food. I just can’t wait to go home for a few days and just eat all the food.”

“You sound like you haven’t eaten in weeks.”

“The breaks in between my mom’s cooking feel like an endless waste land of fast food and microwaved meals.” His express turned grim for a moment.

“Uh… you okay dude?”

“Yeah, just excited.”

Lance took control of the aux cord and scrolled through his iPod for the perfect road trip music. He settled on a mix his sister gave him last year. It was a weird compilation of pop punk, oldies and a dash of techno that always took him by surprise. As the first few voices of Bohemian Rhapsody began to blast thought the speakers, Hunk turned to him and gasped.

They began to sing along, Lance playing the air guitar in the passenger seat. They sounded truly awful, singing loud and out of key. Anyone looking at them from a passing car would have no idea that they were in a successful band. As the last soft lyric played out, the boys sighed with the music.

“A masterpiece.” Lance turned down the volume as some random drumbeat began to play.

“Yeah…” Hunk nodded along. “Hey do you ever remember learning the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Because I don’t.”

“Huh. Now that you mention it, no I don’t.”

“It’s weird right? Like I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know the words. I think we were all just born with the whole song in our heads, or something.”

“Well if that’s true, I’m not complaining.”

“Yeah, it could be worse. We all could have the Hamster Dance in our heads, playing on repeat.”

Lance turned to his friend, his mouth pressed into a hard line. “Don’t ever bring up that abomination again.”

Hunk chuckled. “Wasn’t that your ringtone in middle school?”

“Let’s get back to some real music please!” Lance turned up the volume, drowning out Hunk’s laughter.

The trip lasted three and a half playlists and Lance was bouncing in his seat when they finally pulled in to their neighborhood. All of them had lived in place growing up, their houses on different streets. Shiro and Pidge’s families had moved on in the past few years but Hunk and Lance still called this place home.

Hunk pulled up to Lance’s childhood home. Well, kind of. The house was one of four in a round caul-de-sac. There was kids running everywhere, by the look of things they were playing soccer with two tipped over trash can’s as the goals. Hunk got as close as he could and said his goodbyes, eager to get to his own family.

As soon as Lance started walking up to the people, he was tackled by at least three children. One of them, a little girl named Mimi with two rope-like braids hanging down her back hugged him the tightest. Lance screeched at his little sister, picking her up and spinning her around. All the sudden the rest of the family came pouring out of the house. Cousins, aunts and uncles included. The McClain family was loud and welcoming, all of them hugging Lance at least twice before letting him move onto the next person.

When Lance finally got to his parents, his mother picked on him for being too skinny right before kissing him on the cheek.

The night was perfect. Even though the house was practically bursting with all these people, Lance loved all the noise. He loved the sounds of his mother and aunts in the kitchen, singing songs in Spanish that he’d heard all his life. He loved hearing his little cousins laugher trickling in from outside. He loved listening to his father and his uncle talk calmly amiss all the chaos around them. His house was a plethora of noise that made the most beautiful music. 

Then another noise entered the fray. Lance’s phone rang in his pocket. He jumped, a little startled at the noise. He and his sister, Sara were sprawled on the couch together after powering through a mountain of dishes. She leaned over his shoulder and stared at his phone, like any good big sister would do.

“Ooo, is that your boyfriend?” She teased, grinning devilishly. A strand of the same dusty brown colored hair tickled his ear.

Lance scooted over to the other side of the couch. “None of your business.” He slid his thumb over the screen to answer. “Hello?”

“HELLOOOOO LOVER BOY.” Sara leaped onto Lance, practically screaming into his ear.

“SARA! Get off!”

“Lemme say hi to the guy you won’t shut up about.”

“NO.” Lance pushed himself off the couch and headed to the back door. Sara was calling after him, making all sorts of embarrassing comments and weird noises. Lance slammed the door shut and sighed. He trudged to one of the patio chairs and lowered himself down. “Sorry about that.”

 “Was that your sister?” Keith voice sounded a little lighter than usual. Like he had just been laughing.

“Yeah, that was Sara.”

“Sara…. she’s the one that’s two years older than you, right?”

“Bingo. See, I told you those flash cards would come in handy.”

“I still can’t believe you made flashcards of all your siblings.”

“I can’t believe you actually used them.”

Keith grumbled something on the other line, probably something mean. Lance chuckled, imagining the flush look he was probably sporting.

“So, you’re calling kind of late. What’s up?” Lance asked. Last he checked it was around 10 and LA was an hour ahead of them.

“Nothing really, I’m just sitting in the airport, bored. You have to pay for the Wi-Fi here.”

“Aww lame! I thought most places had it for free. Shitty, but free. Hey wait, why are you in the airport? You going to Hawaii already?”

Keith sighed before he answered, sounding tired. “Yep. Got to make it there before the sun rises. I hope I can sleep on the plane.”

“That- sucks babe. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

Lance leaned back in the plastic chair, the thing creaking underneath him. Seeing that he was always surround by his family during the holidays, it just didn’t make sense to his brain that Keith was expected to work. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve for crying out loud. He still hadn’t come up with a gift or anything to make him feel better about being away from home during this time. That also had to do with the fact that they had only been dating for just about a month. What kind of Christmas gift are you supposed to get your boyfriend that you’ve only been dating for a month? A t-shirt? A lava lamp? What?

“Lance? Are you paying attention?” Keith’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Uh y-yeah! I’m totally paying attention. I’m hanging on your every word.”

“Right. I doubt that. Anyways, my flight doesn’t board for another hour. You got to keep me awake otherwise I’m going to fall asleep in this uncomfortable chair.”

“I got this babe. I could sing to you. Or give the phone to my cousin Manolo. He’s six and can talk for days.”

Keith chuckled. “I wouldn’t doubt that. So how is the family? God that’s such a lame question to ask.”

“Nah, I kind of like it.” Lance went on to tell him about all the family member’s squeezed into his house. How every room had a person in it and how he had to share with his brothers. The only reason the backyard was quiet was because all the little ones were fast asleep. During the day this place was ground zero for the chaos. “There’s going to be at least 5 more people here tomorrow for Christmas Eve dinner. My dad was saying were going to have to put a table outside.”

“Sounds crazy.” Keith mused.

“It always is.” As Lance was about to change the topic, he decide to risk it and ask. “Your family ever do anything big for the holidays? Like when you were a kid?”

He was met with the same stuttering tone Keith usually went to whenever this topic was brought up. “No… no n-not really…”

“You guys more low-key?” he picked his words carefully.

“Yeah… no- I mean no. Look, Lance there’s something I haven’t told you…” From the sound of things, Keith wasn’t sitting anymore. It sounded like he was moving around. “It’s uhh… shit this is weird, why is this so weird…?”

“Keith? Everything okay?” Lance was getting worried. Keith’s voice sounded all weird and kind of pitchy. Maybe there was still time to change the subject. Before he could try to say something else, Keith continued.

“Yeah yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just… I don’t actually have…” his voice trailed off into incoherent mumbling.

“What was that? I didn’t hear that last part.”

A sigh and then, “I don’t have a family. It’s- uh- just me.”

It took a moment for the words to fully sink into his brain. Lance was confused. Confused and instantly worried. What did Keith mean he didn’t have a family? Everyone has a family. Everyone comes from somewhere. Did he not get along with his parents or… or was he really alone. Was Keith an orphan?

Lance spoke hesitantly. “You… don’t have a family?”

“Yeah. I was a foster kid. Don’t know my birth parents or anything. I never really found a family that stuck so I was kind of just… passed around for a while. I did live with the one couple for two years but, they were assholes so when I aged out I cut all ties with them. But yeah… that’s me. That’s my big _thing_ or whatever.”

“Wow. I had literally no idea, Keith.”

“It’s not something I like to bring up too much. People get all weird when they realized I’m an orphan. It’s like they start to pity me or something.”

From the way he said it, it was clear that Keith had had enough of those experiences to last him a life time. Lance was determined not to make him feel like this was another one of those moments, but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He couldn’t help but think about the house full of people behind him that he was all connected with and realize that Keith didn’t have that. He couldn’t help but feel sorrow.

Lance took a moment to imagine what it must have felt like. What Keith must have gone through? Did he ever wonder about where he came from? Who his birth parents were? It felt like a mystery that had to be solved. For a second, Lance thought about asking him about, trying to piece together Keith’s past from the few scattered memories he was sure to have. But then he stopped. That wasn’t his place. That wasn’t why Keith was telling him this. Keith was telling him this because he wanted to. He wanted to share something personal. It wasn’t right to make a big deal about it just because of his curiosity. Lance smiled at himself, a little proud that he was finally getting a handle on this whole growing up thing. However there was still one thing he had to say before he let this moment pass by.

“Look, you’ve probably heard this a million times but,” Lance sat up, making sure his voice was steady enough to convey what he felt. “I’m sorry, Keith. Sorry you had to grow up like that.”

There was a pause, and then a soft little sigh. “Thanks Lance. But really, it’s okay. It’s just a fucked up little part of my life that I am well behind.”

From the sound of things, Keith really was okay with it. And seeing how successful he was without the support a family provided, it just showed how determined and strong he really was. Lance felt his chest flutter in admiration. _Damn. He is really something._   

“Let’s move on, I’m getting tired.” As if to prove it, Keith yawned.

“Alright. Hey you want to hear something funny?” Lance offered, getting up from his chair.

“I guess. As long as it isn’t one of you stupid puns.”

“My puns are a work of art!” Lance draped his hand on his chest in a way that would have made Keith roll his eyes.

“No. They’re really not.”

“Then you have horrible taste.”

“I mean, probably. I am dating you after all.”

“WHAT. KEITH!?”

“Point for the red team.”

“Son of bitch… now you’re ahead of me by two…”

“Sucks to suck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Kids, do not try to edit at 2 in the morning. Just saying. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thank you all for the kudos and the comments! I'm going to try to respond more to comments just because I just get so excited whenever someone takes the time to say something. Really, I literally squeal every time. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to [MyChemicalKlance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyChemicalKlance/profile) for giving me the idea for part of this chapter. It was too fun of an idea to let go :D
> 
> Update: THERE'S [ART](http://becoming-icarus.tumblr.com/post/158249049775/say-the-word-by-alyxrae-song-process-of)  
> Its based off the music video from the beginning of the story! A big thanks to icarus-flied for creating this!

“So are we supposed to ignore him or…?” Shiro eyed Lance who was leaning face down on the table. It was 10:30 in the morning, too late in the morning for Lance to take a nap. He usually reserved those for the afternoon. Something else was bugging the guitarist that Shiro wasn’t privy to yet. Hunk sighed, nodding his head. He whispered to Shiro, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Keith’s been gone two months now and he just found out that he has to stop in LA for another week before he comes home. Lance isn’t taking the news well.” Hunk pat Lance on the head. The other boy groaned pathetically. Shiro nodded, setting down the coffee he had gotten for Lance and sliding it over slowly. He had set up this band meeting with the hopes of getting their set list solidified for an upcoming show. However, things weren’t exactly going as planned.

“We’ll just let him sit this one out.” He pulled out his dreaded planner and flipped it open, staring with the most recent news. “Okay, now sales of the album have been good, better than good actually. And that’s only going in improve once the physical copy goes on sale later this week-“

“uuuuggghhhhhhhh……” Everyone looked to Lance who had just groaned loudly.

“You okay Lance?” Shiro asked, concern pulling at his brows.

Lance popped up, a big red mark on his forehead from the table. Pidge snickered at the sight. “I am not okay, Shiro. I am dying. Actually dying.”

“You’re not dying.” He sighed.

“Yes I am! Do you know how long Keith and I have been dating?”

Shiro crossed his arms and humored his young friend. “No. How long?”

“Three months. And how long has Keith been away?”

“…two months?”

“That’s right! Two shitty, long months! We’ve have been apart longer than we have actually been in the same city together!” Lance wrapped his fingers around the coffee cup and took a long sip. “…why is my life so hard?”

Pidge snorted. “Your life isn’t hard Lance. You’re just whining.”

“Yeah, c’mon buddy cheer up.” Hunk clapped him on the back. “You guys talk all the time. Everything’s going okay, right?”

“Well yeah. Better than okay really. It’s just… I just miss him.” Lance’s head sunk back to the table. Keith was only supposed be gone for 6 weeks. Now they were creeping up on 9. Sure they texted all the time, Skype’d whenever possible, and that was great. But not actually being able see him, hold him or kiss him? It was sure to slowly drive him insane. The distance had become damn near unbearable.

Pidge set down their phone and pushed up their glasses. “You know, there is an easy way to fix this.”

Lance glanced at them, his eyes wide and questioning.

“Just go visit him. We’ve got nothing going on.”

“Actually we are in a meeting right now.” Shiro grumbled, flicking on of the color tabs in his planner.

“Oh please, like Lance was going to pay attention to that anyway.” They had a point. Pidge unlocked their phone and slid it over to Lance. “Look, there’s a flight leaving on Tuesday at 9:50 AM. The airline is having a sale so it won’t be too pricey. I already started booking it for you and all you have to do is press ‘submit’.”

Lance glanced up at his friend, skeptical. “How do you know my credit card number? And why are you being so nice to me?”

“Please.” Pidge waved their hand at the first question and rolled on into the second. “Because when you’re sad, Hunk gets sad and then Shiro gets all sympathetic and nothing gets done, leaving me to pick up the slack. So go on, go see your boyfriend and be all gross and cute or whatever.”

“Aww you do care, Pidge!” Lance leaped over the table and hugged them, nearly knocking over everyone’s drink in the process. Pidge squirmed for a little before rubbing his back with one hand. 

“Yeah, yeah… don’t tell anyone.” Their voice took on a rare soft tone.

“Can we get back to business now?” Shiro asked.

Lance climbed off the table and back into his seat, taking his coffee from Hunk who was kind enough to save it when he attack hugged Pidge. Shiro rolled into his mini lecture, going on about a few small shows they had lined up leading up to their tour in the summer. Rehearsals were going to have to start in a few weeks. Lance was excited about getting everyone in the studio again. The last time they were crammed together like that was when they were recording everything for the album. It wasn’t like when they were younger and they’d just jam out randomly. They were all too busy nowadays for stuff like that.

After they decided on a set list and picked out days to rehearse, the meeting was over. Shiro hurried out the door, his phone up to his nose and a blush on his cheek. Pidge elbowed him and whispered that he was talking to Allura. Looks like Lance wasn’t the only one who managed to score during that video shoot.

He turned down a ride from Hunk, opting to walk to the train station instead. Pidge helped him finalize his flight and he couldn’t believe that it was actually happening. He was going to see Keith. He was going to be able to kiss him again and wrap him up in a hug. His chest grew warm at the thought, causing him to tug at his scarf.

As Lance walked into the city, his iPod on shuffle, he began to plan his surprise. Because of course it was going to be a surprise. Lance liked to think of it as a late Christmas/ New Year’s gift since he didn’t get to see Keith for either of those holidays. He’d definitely needed the help of Allura. After all he had no idea where Keith was staying while in LA let alone what his schedule would be like.  He just hoped that this would be a good surprise and not an inconvenient one. Sometime he tended to go a little overboard and even though they had been dating of three months, Lance didn’t want to do anything stupid to mess things up. Lance pulled out his phone, texting Allura and telling her all about his master plan.  

 

* * *

 

The taxi jerked to a stop, effectively waking up Keith. He didn’t intend to doze off. It was 2 o’clock in the afternoon after all, but jet lag hit him hard all the sudden and as soon as he sat down, he was out. Keith glared at the back of the cab drivers head, fully aware that he did that on purpose. It didn’t really matter thought, because now he was at the apartment where a nice warm bed was waiting for him.

Keith paid the man and hopped out, grabbing his stuff from the trunk. He desperately needed to do laundry. If it wasn’t for the two shirts he was gifted from a designer while in Hawaii, he would have smelled truly terrible. He slammed the trunk down, smirking as the taxi driver gave him a dirty look and went to the door. As he hit the button for the elevator, his phone buzzed.

My Nerd: _I have an emergency._

My Nerd: _You’ve been gone too long._

My Nerd: _I’ve forgotten what you look like._

Keith: _We just Face Time’d a few days ago. Stop being weird._

My Nerd: _I HAVE A FEVER_

My Nerd: _AND THE ONLY CURE IS YOU_

Keith: _Well I hope it’s not deadly, cuz I won’t be back for another week._

My Nerd: _I can’t believe how insensitive you are._

My Nerd: _And here I am, making all this effort…_

My Nerd: _:D_

Keith: _Effort? What do you mean by that?_

Keith: _…?_

His phone was silent the rest of the ride up. Keith dragged his stuff inside, saying a polite hello to the two other guys already there. They were familiar, but for the life of him Keith couldn’t remember their names. He was lucky enough to get a room by himself again and plopped down on one of the beds. Keith stared at his phone, waiting for an answer. Why did he feel like Lance did something stupid?

Keith checked all of Lance’s social media; whatever stupid thing he did would probably be documented. But nothing had been posted in the last few days. Keith frowned, wondering what that crazy boy was hinting at. It better not be one of those singing telegrams or something else embarrassing. He was a sucker for a simple little flower, but did not like the idea of Lance sending him a room full of roses. It just felt like a waste of money or something.

All the sudden, he heard music coming from outside. At first he thought it was coming from one of the other rooms. Maybe one of his temporary roommates brought a speaker with them. No… it was definitely coming from outside. Keith pushed himself up and went to the window, but the one in this room was facing an alley. So he ventured to the living room.

The other two guys were at the widow, laughing.

“Hey Kogane, check this out.” One of them waved him over. “Some weirdo is out on the sidewalk holding up a speaker.”

The other guys pulled out his phone and giggled. “He’s kind of cute. Crazy, but cute. I wonder who he’s looking for.”

Keith was in the mood for a laugh. After being away from home longer than expected and he needed something to cheer him up. He hurried over to the window and looked down. He pressed his face to the glass and gaped at what he saw.

“THAT’S MY WEIRDO.” Keith screeched. The two other models whipped their heads towards him and began cackling. They fell over each other as Keith yanked open the window and shot his head outside. “ _CARELESS WHISPER_? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS??”

Lance spun around, his gaze focusing on Keith. The biggest smile enveloped his face, one that sent Keith’s heart marching up and down his rib cage. He turned down the music and waved. “KEEEEIIITTHHHH!”

“Lance?! What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I told you! I’m sick and the only cure is you!”

Keith shook his head, his own smile threatening to consume his entire being. He duck out from the window, leaped over his fellow model’s still laughing on the ground and went to the door. Waiting for the elevator wasn’t an option so Keith barreled down the stairs, almost falling on his face twice. As he landed on the bottom floor he spied Lance just outside the door. Keith ran into it, barely giving Lance enough time to get out of the way. He leaped in to Lance’s open arms, his momentum sending both of them falling to the ground.

Lance was laughing, his whole body vibrating under Keith. He buried his head in to Lance’s shoulders and just reveled in this moment, taking a deep breath. Lance tangled his fingers in Keith’s messy hair and sighed contently.

“So I’m guessing this was a good surprise?” he asked softly, his breath tickling Keith’s ear.

“A very good one.” Keith hummed. He pulled back to look at Lance, his mind still not quite believing that he was actually here. Lance ran his thumb across Keith’s cheek and he leaned into the movement. The next second, Keith closed the distance and kissed him.

Lance chuckled into his mouth, hot puffs of air escaping their lips. “Keith? Not that I don’t like kissing you, but you’re kind of crushing me.”

“Sorry.” Keith climbed off, holding out a hand and hoisting his boyfriend to his feet. Before Lance could say anything, Keith tugged him down into another kiss. This one was more urgent as he backed Lance into the wall. The other boy chuckled, dropping his bag and tilting his head to the side. Hands gently grabbed Keith’s hips, his skin tingling just under his shirt. Holy shit did he miss this.

He slowly pulled away, his head spinning. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” After another quick little peck, Lance picked up his things. “So are you going to invite me up or am I making camp here?”

Keith rolled his eyes and pulled open the door.

Technically speaking he wasn’t supposed to have guests staying overnight. But really, who was going to stop them? Keith led Lance inside where the two were greeted by a round of applause from the other two models staying there. Lance took a bow, practically glowing under the attention while Keith turned a brilliant shade of red. He stalked down the hall and dragged the other boy along.

It was like no time had passed at all. For a moment, Keith was worried that things might be awkward between the two of them. They hadn’t actually been in the same room together in ages. But they fell into easy conversation, Lance immediately making himself at home and lying on the bed next to Keith’s. He went on into to full detail about this little vacation. Pidge practically booking the flight for him, Allura filling him in on where Keith was staying. When she texted him yesterday about flight’s and stuff, he just thought she was checking in like usual. He had no clue she was secretly spying for Lance.

They talked and talked, for hours actually. Whatever sleepiness hit him when he got off the plane disappeared as soon as fell into Lance’s arms. After a while he zoned out just watching the other boy’s face.

While he listened and watched, he couldn’t help but wonder. Why? Why did Lance show up at his door? Why did he just drop everything to be by his side? Yeah they were dating and all, but was this normal? Did people usually fly across the country for a person they’ve been dating for three months?

Keith suddenly realized how ill prepared he was for all of this. For dating in general. He wasn’t used to someone calling him all the time or texting him randomly throughout the day. He never had anyone to fuss over him like this. With Allura it was different. Sure she’d check in every so often, but not nearly as much as Lance did with his usual 5 messages per day. He wasn’t at all prepared for an actual relationship.

It was too normal. Too average for the whirlwind his life was. Keith didn’t grow up under normal circumstances and there were somethings that he’d missed out completely because of that. Having this, something so mundane and domestic, it felt fleeting. Like at any moment he would blink and Lance would be gone. Keith’s life back to lonely little shit storm he didn’t realize he’d been stuck in. Just imagining it was making him feel depressed.

“I can’t believe you’re here…” He said softly. Keith didn’t mean to interrupt. It was a phrase that was repeating over and over in his head that somehow managed to slip out. His bit his lip, his cheeks growing warm as he realized Lance had stopped talking.

Lance smiled, his eyes so damn soft and sweet Keith was likely to burst. “I can’t believe the whole _Careless Whisper_ thing worked. I was just going to call you but then I had that stroke of genius.”

“Hmph, insanity’s more like it.”

“You know sometimes, your words hurt.” Lance put on a fake pout and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Keith couldn’t help but chuckle. Lance crawled over to Keith’s bed, tucking his long legs under the blanket and sitting close. “So, do you work tomorrow?”

“Nah, not till Thursday.”

“Perfect. Mind if I take you on a little adventure then?”

Keith’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of adventure?”

“It’s a surprise.” There was a glint in his eye that just spelled trouble.

“I thought you showing up was the surprise?”

“That’s one surprise, which I still can’t believe went over so well, but this is another surprise completely. One that I think you’ll like.”

“Oh yeah? Well my standards are pretty high now, so good luck.” Keith leaned into Lance’s shoulder and poked him playfully. He was hoping that he would get some sort of hint about tomorrow, but Lance was pretty tight lipped about the subject. Of course they were a lot looser for other, less talkative activities (*wink wink, nudge nudge*), but Keith fell asleep with absolutely no idea what he was in for tomorrow.

When Lance woke him up at 6 AM, he already knew that he hated it.

“…Keith?” a gentle hand shook his shoulder. The bed moved as Lance sat down .“Mornin’ beautiful.”

Keith groaned a horrible goblin-esq sound that was so not attractive. Despite this, Lance laughed ran his knuckles along Keith’s cheek.

“We’re going on an adventure today. Do you want to shower or sleep some more?”

Keith considered this for a good long minute. On one hand, he was pretty sure there was still sand in his hair from the photoshoot he did whilst in Hawaii. On the other, more sleep sounded fan-fucking-tastic. But who knows how long they were going to be out and about. Keith begrudgingly got up and shuffled to the shower. The water woke him up to a degree. He still felt like a zombie though, going through the motions of getting ready.

It was a brisk morning, one that made him grateful he’d grabbed a jacket. He obviously missed the part of the conversation where Lance said he rented a car and was a little confused when he climbed into the passenger seat. But he leaned back and got comfortable and pretty soon fell asleep again. It felt like he’d only doze off for a second when Lance gently shook him awake again.

“We’re here.”

Keith blinked, rubbing his eyes as he tried to focus. Here looked like a massive parking garage with a butt load of cars surrounding them. The faint ringing of young laugher was bleeding through the windows.

“Where are we?” he asked.

Lance already hopped out of the car, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. Keith hesitantly followed. There were kids running here and there, strollers both big and small, and a few kids their own age with Starbucks in hand and wide smiles. Keith was still confused until he saw a little girl running by in a princess dress and glittery mouse ears.

“You took me to a theme park.” He deadpanned, shoving his hands into his pockets. Out of all the things he imagined for today, this was not one of them.

“I took you to _the_ theme park.” Lance looped his arm around Keith’s; his longer strides making Keith walk a little faster. “It occurred to me the other day that you’ve probably never been to Disneyland before. And lucky for you, I come here a lot with my family, so you’re going to be led around by an expert.”

They followed the crowd to an escalator, where dozens of people were already piled together. Keith looked around at the crowd and grimaced. It’s true, he’d never been here, but now that he was in his twenties it didn’t seem like the kind of place he wanted to spend the day. When he thought of Disney all he saw were screaming children, long lines, and overpriced everything. He was so not looking forward to any of that.

But Lance looked like he was about ten years old again, practically bouncing as they stood waiting for the trams. He was probably was really excited to be a tour guide, so Keith decided to roll with it. No matter how much he disliked theme parks, he would suck it up for Lance’s sake.

The long trams dropped them off at a shopping center that looked pretty magical looking on its own. Keith followed Lance, his eyes wandering to all the different sights. Security was a breeze, having nothing on him but his wallet, whereas Lance had to open all 6 zippers on his ridiculously complicated backpack.

Apparently Lance and his family came here often enough that he had a special pass. One that let him come any day of the year for a large annual fee. With that in mind, the two of them split the cost of Keith’s ticket and headed to the gates.

_Okay, that’s kind of cool_. Keith mused, posing with Lance in front of a floral display. It was arranged to look like a giant Mickey Mouse head and was apparently a hot spot for photos. Lance dragged him along, following the flow under a bridge to Main Street.

Keith really hadn’t expected to be impressed by this place, but stepping into the park was like stepping into another world. He gaped at all the intricate detail. The employees had such unique costumes that matched the ornate buildings behind them. There were horse drawn carriages, old timey cars and a quartet of guys in striped suits singing some catchy songs.  Before he could really take it all in, Lance dragged him into a store and headed to the counter.

“Heellooo!” He greeted the girl behind the counter who perked up almost immediately.

“Good morning, how can I help you?” her smile was almost too big.

“Well you see, this is my boy Keith. Now Keith here has never been to Disneyland before.”

Her face dropped into an over exaggerated look of surprise. “Oh my! Well, I think he needs a button…” She pulled open a few drawers before finding what she was looking for. Keith watched, a little curiously as she slid something across the counter. Lance scooped it up and turned to Keith. He pinned a yellow button on his shirt; the words ‘1st Visit’ emblazoned on it surrounded by various characters.

Keith sighed. “Why do I need this?”

“Because it’s your first time here! You need a button on your first time.” Lance grinned. The girl behind him nodded eagerly.

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it. You are the expert.”

“Yes. Yes I am. Now let’s go!”

The zoomed out of the store and onto Main Street. The crowd wasn’t nearly as bad as Keith thought it was, the two of them moving easily down the street. Keith held onto Lance’s hand as they moved, his eyes soaking up all the things around him. It was truly like a different world. Lance tugged him to the right, a futuristic land suddenly appearing before them.

They ducked into a line for something called Space Mountain. Getting to the ride itself was tiring, but then waiting for a half an hour was even more so. Lance assured him that this was short compared to most days, but Keith couldn’t help but get a little restless. His standards were pretty low when they finally got on the ride, which turned out to be a good thing. It was exhilarating. He was flying through space, stars whooshing passed them as the roller coaster dipped and turned. While he was kind of worried that he would get decapitated; the pitch black darkness not helping one bit, it was an absolutely thrilling experience.

The ride zoomed into the finish, a bright light flashing right before they stopped. A few seconds before the flash, Lance leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Keith was seeing stars, and not just the ones from the ride.

Lance helped him out of the seat, pulling him towards the exit. When they made it back outside, Lance immediately went over to a line of screens. He searched for a bit before motioning Keith over.

“Look!” he pointed to the screen. It was a picture from the ride, Keith and Lance in the front. Keith had the biggest smile on his face and Lance… Lance was planting a big kiss on his cheek. It was incredibly cheesy, but damn was it cute. Lance took out his phone and snapped a picture of it.

“You knew the picture was coming up, didn’t you?” It was too perfect otherwise.

“Yup. I told you babe, I’m an expert.”

Keith looked at the picture one last time before it changed.

The day turned out to be pretty damn magical. After going on a few of the thrill rides and loosening up, Keith let himself go a little. He forgot about everything outside the theme park, forgot about his fears just for a little while and just had fun. He even enjoyed the smaller kiddy rides that Lance insisted on dragging him to. The Tea Cups however almost had him throwing up his churro and there was no way in hell he was going anywhere near _It’s a small world_. He knew enough about Disney to know he would hate that immediately.

They crossed over to the other park, California Adventure, where they rode the _Tower of Terror_ three times in a row. Lance laughed his ass off when Keith got pulled into to a dance by a group of musicians singing in the street. Keith marveled at the accuracy Cars themed world, Lance bought a giant roll of sourdough, and the two of them spent way too much money on the carnival games in Paradise Pier. Somewhere along the way, Lance bought a pair of Mickey ears that had a tiny blue sorcerers hat perched between them. Keith had ended up with Minnie Mouse ears.

(“Lance? Why do I need these?”

“So that we match!”

“But were not matching?”

“Well, blue’s my favorite color. Yours is red. Besides, it’s not like you care what you wear.”

“Good point.”)

After watching a strange cover band perform in California Adventure, they made their way back over to Disneyland. The sun was beginning its slow descent and Keith had to adjust his jacket, the lack of sunlight bringing a chill back into the air. It seemed that most people were heading back to this part of the theme park.

“Where should we have dinner?” Lance deliberated, a finger tapping his lip.

“How are you still hungry? You just had a cake pop.” Keith scolded.

“I always have more room for Disney food. Can’t get it anywhere else.” They strolled down Main Street, pausing in front of the castle. There was a huge crowd behind them, the parade either just ending or just about to begin. “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, did you see anyplace that you wanted to try?”

Keith thought for a moment. “Well… I don’t know what food they had, but I liked that place by the river. The place with the pirates? It was kind of cool over there.”

“New Orleans Square? Yeah… that place has the best food. I know the perfect spot.”

They took off, weaving their way through the growing crowd. Lance took him to a restaurant, one that faced the river. The waitress led them to a table outside where they got to sit underneath twinkling lights and listen to a jazz band playing somewhere behind them. If it weren’t for the kids in costumes and the distant screams from _Splash Mountain_ cutting in every once and a while, Keith would have thought that were on a super romantic date at a fancy restaurant, not at Disneyland.

_They really got the whole atmosphere thing down here._ He thought. They placed their orders and the food came swiftly, despite how busy it was.

“So,” Lance tilted his head, pausing in between bites. “How was your first ever trip to Disneyland?”

“Well… it was different.”  He grimaced at the lame choice of words.

“Different? Not exactly what I’d thought you say.”

Keith chewed his lip, trying to come up with the right words. “It’s not a bad different like; I didn’t really think I’d have fun here- _don’t make that face, McClain_. I thought since this was a kiddy place it’d get old fast. But I had a lot of fun, even though you kept squealing every time you saw a character.”

“Hey that Rapunzel was fucking perfect okay? It’s was like she walked out of the movie and right into my heart.”

“Yeah… that Flynn Rider was pretty good looking too…”

Lance sputtered. “A-are you saying you would leave me for Flynn Rider?!”

“If he were into guys and not a cartoon? Yeah probably.”

“And here I thought we had something special.” Lance sighed.

Keith couldn’t stop the blush racing to his cheeks at that last statement. Lance thought this was special? So did that mean that his relationship with Keith was different than any other relationships he had been in? How many relationships had Lance even been in? His head was practically spinning with all these new questions.

“I’m really glad I came out here.” Lance smiled, bumping Keith’s knee with his own.

“I think you know how happy I am.” He thought back to last night, blushing deeper.

“How long are you going to be home before you go off on another adventure?”

Keith sat back and pondered that. “Ummmm I think I should be home for a week. No big trips like this for a while. Allura told me to take it easier this year. She thinks I work too much.”

“I’m gonna have to agree with her on that.”

“Don’t tell me I’m going to have you pestering me all the time too.”

“Comes with the title, babe.”

Keith grumbled.

“How’s your food?” Lance asked, effectively changing the subject. Keith stared down at him gumbo. It was actually pretty delicious, but whatever Lance was eating looked better. “Good.” He answered while reaching over and snagging a piece of the strange sandwich. Lance didn’t even get to retaliate before Keith took a bite.

“Holy shit this is good…” he dunked the fried master piece into the sauce it came with. It was some sort of sweet berry stuff that clashed perfectly with the sandwich.

“Uhh Keith? That has like, a ton of cheese on it. Aren’t you lactose intolerant?”

“I don’t care. This is fucking delicious.”

Needless to say, Keith’s stomach was upset the rest of the night. They stayed until the fireworks, a display truly fantastic with images projected onto the castle and snow falling during the _Frozen_ section. Keith was beat, Lance having to half drag him back to the car. He could tell the tall man-child wanted to stay a little longer, but his boyfriend did not have the stamina for another two hours. Maybe next time.

Lance drove them back to LA, a cheesy Disney themed playlist playing through the speakers. Keith listened contently as Lance sang along. He seemed to know every word by heart and gave quiet the emotional performance of Let it Go. As best he could while driving of course.

“Did you always know you wanted to be a rock star?” Keith asked. The dark sky and orange lights outside made everything look kind of peaceful.

Lance hummed a little, his eyes focused on the road. “Actually no. For the longest time I wanted to be an astronaut.”

“Hey so did I.”

“Oh yeah? Well, that was my dream for a long time but then my dad began teaching me how to play guitar. He taught all of us, or tried to at least. I was the only one who stuck with it.”

Keith liked seeing thing side of Lance. The calm and introspective side. Not that he didn’t like the hyper, stupidly charming side of him; but this was a nice little break from that. It was nice to know that there was so much to this guy than what he originally thought. Lance continued.

“Then my dad gave me his guitar, I started writing my own stuff and boom; caught the bug. I honestly didn’t think anything would come of it and even if I did become successful with my music I thought it was going to take years. But apparently one mediocre video on YouTube was more than enough.”

“That video was great.” Keith still had that video saved in his Favorites. He remembered stumbling upon it late one night at a new house. The people he was living with had an old lap top that they gave him as a kind of ‘welcome home’ present. It took forever for anything to load on that thing, but he remembered watching that video over and over again until his foster dad yelled at him. He might have been responsible for at least half of all the views.

A confident smirk played on Lance’s lips. “Aww I keep forgetting that you’ve been a fan since the beginning. Tell me, what’s it like dating your celebrity crush?”

“You tell me. You have a poster of me hanging on your wall.”

“WHO TOLD YOU???”

Keith burst out laughing.

 

* * *

 

Lance rolled onto his side, stretching out and finding the other side of the bed was empty. He pouted and rubbed his eyes.

It was early. Early enough that the sun hadn’t quite risen over the horizon. Still, a soft glow was warming the room making it clear that Keith wasn’t here. Lance blinked a few times, trying to focus. Him and Keith didn’t intend to sleep in the same bed, but one thing led to another and then both boys were snuggled up on one of the twin beds. Not that he was complaining. Lance reached over the side of the bed and blindly searched for his boxers on the ground. Once found he slipped them on underneath the sheet. He wasn’t nearly as confident in the day light as he was in the dark.

He went for his phone next, seeing that is was 6:40 in the morning. Lance got up and headed towards the door, sleep not as inviting when there wasn’t a cute boy to snuggle with. The living room was already a flurry of activity. The two guys Lance had met that other day were there, along with three others that looked like they had just arrived. Maybe he should have put a shirt on.

Just as he was about to turn, one of the more familiar guys waved. “Good morning.” He called brightly.

“Morning.” Lance tried to remember his name. Charlie? Or was it Charles? No, it was definitely Charlie.

“Your boyfriend ran to the store to get something for breakfast for the both of you. He should be back soon.”

Lance nodded, ducking around the corner of the bedroom to grab a shirt.

“Boyfriend? Who’s boyfriend?” One of the new guys was looking him up and down, sizing him up for some strange reason. He couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by this guy. Lance smiled politely despite this.

“I’m here with Keith.” he said simply. The guy’s eye narrowed at the name. He stood crossing his arms and staring down at Lance again. He was attractive in a sense, too big and muscly for Lance’s taste. That and he looked like he spent way too much time honing this weird bad boy image. What with the gages, tattoo and tank top despite the chilly weather outside. Oh yeah, he looked like a douche.

“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” he asked.

“Depends on your taste in music. I’m in a band.”

One of the other boys suddenly jumped up. “I knew it! You’re Lance McClain from Voltron!”

“The one and only.” Lance grinned. He was much better at handling this kind of attention then whatever big, tall and macho was giving him.

Charlie eyed Lance with a whole new understanding. “Well well, Kogane snagged himself a rock star. That’s a tad unexpected. Victor, calm down.” The boy who recognized him was tearing through a drawer, apparently looking for something. Victor found what he was looking for and shoved a notebook and a pen at Lance.

Lance signed the autograph gladly, taking a moment to draw a little lion in the corner.  Just then, the front door open and Keith walked back in. He smiled a Lance a little sheepishly, but when his gaze traveled over to the big guy, it dropped into something dangerous. Lance tilted his brow in confusion and hurried over to help Keith with his bags.

Charlie leaned on the kitchen counter, a big grin on his face. “You didn’t tell us your boyfriend was famous, Kogane.”

Keith sighed, his cheeks a little pink. “I didn’t think it really mattered.”

“It doesn’t. It just makes things more fun.” Charlie teased. Lance liked this guy. He seemed like a good person to be friends with.

Lance began unpacking the grocery bag and looked at the ingredients. Looks like they were having pancakes for breakfast. He ducked down to the cabinets and looked for mixing bowl.

“Isn’t it against the rules to have guests?” The big guy was watching them from the other side of the room. His arms crossed and looking incredibly muscular.

Keith stared at him coolly. “Technically yes. But if I remember, you don’t really care for that rule either. Remember Paris last year? The three of you were exactly subtle, Sendek.

So this was the guy Keith hated. One look at Sendek and Lance didn’t like him. Now knowing that Keith despised the guy basically earned him a one way ticket to Lance’s bad side. He immediately tensed up. Thankfully, Sendek didn’t retaliate. He grunted, looking back and forth between all of them before stomping off towards the door. The whole room let out a collective breath when the door shut behind him.

“What a dick.” Lance commented. Everyone seemed to murmur in agreement. After that, Charlie and Victor ushered the two newbies to the other side of the apartment. He turned and winked at Lance as he went. Looks like the two of them were going to have the room to themselves again.

Lance and Keith made pancakes. Really, Lance made pancakes while Keith watched because apparently he wasn’t much a chef. His first pancake stuck to the pan while his seconded attempt missed the pan and splattered on the stove. Lance couldn’t help but poke fun.

“I can’t believe I found something that I’m better at then you.” He flopped a perfectly golden pancake on a plate and slid it over to Keith. “I think that means I get another point.”

“Pfft. Whatever.” He grumbled.

Lance chuckled. “You work today, right?”

“Yup.”

“Hmm… I wonder what I’m going to do?”

“Well if you want you can come to set with me today.” Keith looked down at his food, drizzling syrup on the stack. Lance’s eyes grew wide. “I-It might get a little boring… you don’t have to come-“

“N-no! I… I’d like that.” Lance interrupted. “Wait, am I even allowed to be there?”

“It wouldn’t be a problem. I’ve worked with these people before. The lady in charge is pretty easy going, as long as you stay out of trouble.”

Lance thought for a moment, but really he had already made up his mind. “Sounds like fun.”

“Are you sure? There’s a lot of down time and it might take a few hours-”

“Keith. Eat your pancakes.” Lance flipped the last pancake on to his plate and turned off the stove. He shuffled to the empty seat next to him at the counter. Keith was looking down, but he could tell the boy was kind of excited. And so was Lance. After all, Keith had seen Lance working in his natural environment; it was about time he did the same.

When Lance sat down, he felt something sharp poke his behind.

“OW! What the hell??” he jumped up, reaching behind him. His hand latched onto something round and plastic. He yanked it off and stared at the ‘1st Visit’ button Keith had gotten yesterday. “How the hell did this get stuck to my ass?”

Keith shrugged, his face as calm as ever. “It was my first visit. Had to commemorate the occasion.”

Lance turned bright red and nearly fell to the floor.

After they cleaned up the kitchen, Lance and Keith hurried to get ready. Keith was expected at 8 and it was already 7:25. They sped along in the car and Keith directed him to an industrial looking area with a plethora of graffiti stained buildings. They parked near a particularly decrepit looking place that had a line of cars parked outside.

“This is not what I expected.” Lance commented, closing the car door behind him.

“What did you expect?” asked Keith.

“I don’t know, something a little more glamourous?”

“Wait till you get inside.”

Inside was a completely different story. Keith led him to a beautifully decorated lobby. Everything was stark white and shiny, looking like an Ikea showroom. Even the secretary behind the desk looked too pretty to be real. She seemed to recognize Keith and greeted him in a friendly way, her eyes settling on Lance for a moment before going back to her work.

They went down a few hallways before going up a flight of stairs. The second floor was exactly what Lance had expected. A wide open space with a white backdrop spread across one corner. Tall lights were being set up while a complicated looking camera stand was being pieced together. Near the stairs where they entered was what looked like a whole shopping mall worth of clothes hanging from multiple racks. There were boxes of shoes, hats, glasses, scarves, basically every accessory you could imagine, these people probably had. There was a wall lined with vanities where one or two makeup artists were setting up and a load of people scrambling around like the world was ending. 

Keith walked over to the set where a red cheeked girl sitting behind two large computer screens. Her face brighten up when he tapped her on the shoulder.

“Oh Keith! It’s good to see you.” She jumped up and gave him a hug which Keith responded to by patting her on the back awkwardly. Lance nearly snorted at his how stiff he was.

“Good to see you too, Lucy.”

“Thank god you’re on time. I swear, this morning I woke up and everybody was calling me saying they’d be late. It’s like working with a bunch of amateurs.” Just then there was a crash. Lucy didn’t even flinch but instead began rubbing her temples. “Hans, I don’t care what happened, just fix it.”

A strange looking man was behind them, picking up a fallen light. He looked up at her and grumbled. “I still don’t see why this is necessary. I thought we agreed on using natural lighting for this shoot.”

“All these pieces are one of a kind. I don’t want them outside or anyplace where they might get dirty. The last thing I need is to be on a designer’s hit list.”

Hans continued to grumble but carried on adjusting the light.

Keith reached back and tugged on Lance’s sleeve, bringing him into the conversation. “Hey Lucy, this is my boyfriend Lance. Do you mind if he hangs out today?”

Lucy stopped rubbing her temple and looked up at the two of them in surprise. A kind smile quickly washed over her features. “Not at all! Hello Lance, my name is Lucy. I’m the creative director on this shoot, along with Hans over there.” She held out her hand and he shook it.

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too. Now you’re not going to distract Keith while he’s working, are you?” she had teasing tone to her voice.

“No promises. I can be pretty distracting without trying.” He eyed Keith, his brow raise. Keith simply rolled his eyes.

Lucy giggled at the two of them. “You guys are precious. Keith, head over to hair and makeup. Hopefully well be starting soon.”

Lance was about to follow when Lucy tugged on his arm. He looked down at her, confused. “Nope. You’re going to sit next to me.”

“What? Why?”

She grinned. “Because I want to see your reaction.”

Lance had no idea what she meant that, but he begrudgingly sat down in front of the computers. Lucy began explaining what her creative vision was and what not. Something about gender and stereotypes and how they were trying to change the way people see clothes and think that they’re gender specific. It actually sounded really interesting but Lance was too preoccupied trying to see what Keith was up to. He was engulfed but the makeup artists, Lance’s view obscured by racks of clothes. The two of them never had a chance to get all fancy and go on a date together, so anytime Keith got dressed up it felt special.

He stared picturing the way Keith looked that night they rode the train together. Months ago, when he really began to realize his crush. Lance started picturing tight fitting suits, the shirt underneath unbuttoned and hanging loose, slicked back hair with a few wild strands coming loose. And then those eyes. Those beautiful storm colored eyes. At this point in time, Lance was pretty sure he was drooling.

Time seemed to drag on, the minutes ticking by at a snail’s pace. Whatever look they were going for, it was taking forever. Lucy had run off, doing her thing as director and chatting passionately with the photographer. Lance kept himself busy by playing games on his phone. All the sudden, Lucy plopped down in the seat next to him.

“O-kay, let’s get this thing started. Ready Keith?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

When Lance looked at Keith, it was like he could actually feel cupids’ arrow plunging deep into his chest. His heart literally skipped a beat and then went into overdrive dealing with the sheer fact that he was dating this beautiful creature.

Keith wasn’t in a suit, much like Lance had expected. The outfit they chose was infinitely better.  He was dressed in a pair of faded denim jeans that hung low on his hips. A beautiful, clearly hand painted shawl was hanging off his shoulders and his hair was pulled back with a large clip. And the shirt, oh dear god, the shirt. Lance had never thought a crop top would be making his heart pound like this, but dear god did Keith wear it well. The pale skin of his stomach glowed under the lights and it took everything in Lance to not reach out throw Keith over his shoulder and cart him to some dark corner.

Lance decided right then to buy Keith a crop top (or fifty) for his birthday. After all, Keith didn’t care what he wore. So long as it was comfortable.

“You look great.” Lucy adjusted the shawl for a moment before turning to the photographer. Keith stood there for a moment, his hands in his pockets while he waited to start. He turned to Lance who hadn’t stopped staring.

His cheeks were flaring. “So… what do you think?” his eyes were hidden behind his lashes as he spoke. It took Lance a few moments to form a sentence that didn’t start with wolf whistle.

“Eres muy bella.”

“Huh?”

“Uhh… y-you look great. Really great! Hot damn Keith, you look like a proper model.”

Keith blushed, a half smile on his lips. “Thanks, Lance.”

Lucy called him over to the set. Whatever happened next was a blur to Lance because he was too busy watching his boyfriend absolutely kill it. It was like a whole new person was standing in front of the camera. He moved with such grace and precision, fully aware of his entire body and how it looked on film. As the pictures began rolling in on the screens in front of him, Lance nearly stopped breathing. These were the raw shots. The ones that hadn’t been retouched yet.

  _Holy hell. This is it. This is what kills me._

How in the hell did he ever have a bad impression of this guy? Lance thought back to that first day, when he was such a shallow asshole. Back to when they first met and got off on the completely wrong foot. What if he had dwelled on that stupid crap? What if he never realized what a dick he had been and didn’t apologize? What if Keith still hated him for that mistake?

It was hard to think that it things had been different; Lance wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Able to call that beautiful person in front of him his own. Because he really was beautiful. In so many different ways. Whether it was standing in front of that camera in those expensive clothes; curled up in bed with a puddle of drool on the pillow, or even when he was poking fun at Lance while beating him in a round of Halo. He really was something special.

The hours ticked by, and Keith was thrown into several outfits. Everyone caused a mini heart attack in Lance’s poor little chest. After the forth one, he was pretty sure he was going to need a transplant. Around one he got a break, the two of them headed downstairs to where a large conference room was splayed out with food. It was the perfect day without even trying. And once again, sitting with his shoulder bumping against Keith’s, he was so damn happy that he decided to come.

Before they got started again, Lance texted another big thank you to Pidge for telling him to do this. This was the best two days he had had in a long time and it wouldn’t have happened if his friend hadn’t decided to meddle.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, the shoot was coming to a close. Lance was amazed when he checked the time. It really didn’t feel like they had been there that long. He turned around from his spot and saw that all the clothes were packed away and chunk of people were now missing. It looked like they had been slowly clearing things away once they weren’t needed. The camera flashed it’s last flash and then the photographer called it a day. He went up to Keith and was practically gushing about the amazing job he had done.

“Hey Lance,” Lucy was scrolling through the photos in front of them. “What do you think of this one?”

Lance gulped and looked at the picture. Keith was wearing his second favorite outfit the day. Short black shorts with a puffy bomber jacket and a hat. In this photo, the brim of the hat was pulled down over one of his eyes. The one eye was so visible was so fierce it made Lance’s chest squeeze.

“That’s- uh- that’s good.” He practically gasped.

“I’m guessing it’s better that good considering you can’t seem to breathe. I’m going to mark that as a keeper.” She dragged the photo to another file and then turned. “Did you have fun today, seeing the whole process?”

“Yeah, it was actually pretty cool.”

“It also must have been fun seeing your boyfriend all made up. How did you two meet anyway?”

“We worked together.” Lance went onto explain his own career and how he had met Keith on the shoot of their latest music video. Lucy had never heard of the band before, confessing that she listened to more classical music. But Lance gave her a code to download the album for free as a thanks for letting him hang out. It took a while for Keith to change and wipe off the makeup. By the time he was done, only Lucy, Hans and a one or two random people were handing around. They waved goodbye and headed to the stairs.

“Dude, you’re like really good.” Lance was holding his hand as they walked down the stairs. “Like really really good.”

“I hope so. I’ve been doing this since I was 16. But thanks.”

“So any chance of me seeing you in that crop top again?” Lance couldn’t stop the question from coming out of his mouth.

Keith narrowed his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips. “Maybe. But you have to buy me dinner first.”

“Deal.”

The secretary was missing from her desk, probably gone home like everyone else. Lance wondered absentmindedly what else happened in this building. They must have done more than just photo shoots if they needed a secretary. Outside most of the cars had already taken off, the rental Lance had gotten parked all the way down the street. Just as they got in, Keith realized that he left his phone inside.

“I’ll just run in real quick.”

“You want me to come?” Lance asked, pulling the car closer to the door.

“No. You’re smothering me.”

“Hey, I already used that joke.”

Keith chuckled and hopped out. He tugged on the front door of the building, but it didn’t budge. Lance rolled down the window and called out to him.

“Maybe the back door?”

“Yeah… Lucy usually leaves through there. I’ll be right back.” Keith walked to the side of the building and disappeared around the corner. Lance decided to take the moment to fish out his iPod. There was a song he wanted Keith to listen to. His iPod was in his jacket and his jacket was… not in the car. Lance grimaced, realizing that he left it on the back of his chair inside. He groaned, grabbing his phone and hoping Keith would pick up.

It rang and rang, obviously not found yet. Lance switched off the car and got out. If he was fast enough he could catch Keith before he went inside. He jogged to the back of the building, seeing Keith just about to go inside.

“Hey!” he called out, slowing his pace. Just as Keith turned, a tall shadow leaped out of the darkness. “Keith!”

Lance fell into a sprint as someone grabbed Keith from behind. The tall person spun Keith around and punched him straight in the jaw. Lance’s stomach clenched as Keith, reeling from the hit, crashed into the brick wall behind him. The person grabbed Keith’s shoulder before he had a chance to recover and hit him again in the same spot.

Lance sped up, aiming for the guy’s midsection. He tackled the person like a football player, sending the both of them flying to the ground. The person grunted, swearing loudly as he pushed Lance off. Lance wobbled on his feet, making sure he was standing between this guy and Keith.

He reached a hand back, not wanting to take his eyes off the attacker. “Keith… you okay.”

A hand gripped his, one that felt slick and warm. “I’m fine.” Keith’s voice came out as a growl.

Lance couldn’t help it. He turned. There was a swollen bruise already growing around Keith’s left eye, a cut at the center that was trickling blood. On the other side, where he hit the wall, was a steady stream of red the source of which was hidden buy his hair. Lance felt an anger like never before boiling in his belly.

He turned back to the attacker, who had finally gotten to his feet. It was a person he had met just that morning. Sendek.

The guy looked weird, all wobbly on his feet. He must have been drunk or something which only made this situation worse. Big angry guy who now had no inhibitions? Yeah this was bad.

Sendek lunged at the two of them, his big arms clearly not for show like Lance had originally thought. He stood his ground in front of Keith protectively, but that wasn’t enough. Sendek hit him the gut, all the air whooshing out of him painfully. Lance swung wildly, trying to stay standing, but it hurt so much. He managed to deck him in the face, but that only seemed to piss Sendek off more. Another punch flew toward his face, almost hitting him right in the nose. Lance managed to move but not quiet fast enough. He got a fist on the jaw instead.

Sometime during this, Keith had hopped back in the fight. He was shouting at Sendek. Words that were lost to Lance after that last hit. His head was ringing way too much for anything right now. Sendek suddenly pushed him aside like he weighed nothing. Lance’s back slammed against the wall and his legs suddenly didn’t want to handle him anymore. He crumbled to the ground, breathing slowly.

A gasping sound brought him back to the present. Sendek had Keith pinned to the wall, his hands around his neck. Lance pushed himself up, panic and adrenaline fueling his movements. He leaped at Sendek, wrapping his arms around the big guy and trying to loosen Sendek’s grip. It seemed to be working, the color rushing back to Keith’s face. Keith yanked Sendek’s arms away and pulled back. He punched him in the face, a loud crack resounding off the buildings.

Sendek yelped in pain and tried to back away, but Lance was holding on firm. Keith kept going, hitting Sendek in the face and in the stomach multiple times. When he felt the big guy being to slouch in his arms, Lance let go watching Sendek fall to the ground. He crawled away, cradling his face as he did so.

Just then, the back door to the studio flew open. “What’s going on- oh!? Keith, Lance, are you okay??”

Lucy hurried over to them, her eyes panic stricken. Hans was right behind her, his phone up to his ear in a manner of seconds.

“We’re… we’re fine. I think?” Lance turned. Keith was leaning against the wall, slowly sliding down and sitting. Lance hurried over, worried. “Hey Keith… are you alright?”

He gently cupped his cheek, afraid that he might agitate something. Keith leaned his head back, his eyes closed and breath heavy.  

“’Mmm fine. I just… hurt.” Keith suddenly sat up and looked at Lance worriedly. “What about you? Are you okay? Is anything broken? God, he hit you _hard_ …”

“Keith, calm down. I’m fine. I’m more worried about you. Your eye…” he hesitantly ran his fingers against the skin. It felt warm and tough and dear god he hoped nothing was broken.

The adrenaline was finally starting to die down in his body and Lance was beginning to unwind. He didn’t realize how scared he had been. How terrifying it had been when he saw that shadow looming over his boyfriend. His hands started to tremble. Lance sat next to Keith, letting him rest his head on his shoulder while the distant sound of sirens began to wail. Lance wrapped his arm around him and grabbed him hand, not wanting to leave his side for a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for any heart attacks i might have caused. This was going to be a purely fluffy chapter, but then my mind just went 'lol nope'. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I'll get the next one done fairly quickly. Thank you for reading and for all the lovely comments!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are recovering, both from the attack and from a hushed confession in the middle of the night.

Keith laid back, his head stinging from the freshly sewn stitches that decorated his right temple. The cut was deep, deep enough that it was going to leave a scar. Luckily his bangs would cover it most of the time. To count, he also had a massive black eye, bruises around his neck and a broken wrist that he really didn’t remember getting. All that adrenaline really kept him distracted from the pain. It wasn’t until he was sitting in the back of the ambulance that he realized his right wrist throbbed every time he moved his fingers.   

Hans had called the police; they sat in the back of the ambulance and were interview by the officers; security footage from the camera at the back door backed up their story. Sendek attacked them. They fought back. And sufficiently kicked his ass.

As he tried to get comfortable on the emergency room bed, Keith couldn’t help but worry about Lance. He said he was fine, he even let Keith sit up on the gurney when they piled into the ambulance to get to the hospital. But when they got out, he was clutching his side and moving slow. He was pushed down into a wheelchair and taken back to a different room once they got inside. There was no news of him since.

Keith fidgeted; the skin under his cast all itchy and hot. Setting the damn thing was the weirdest thing he’d ever seen as a giant lump on his wrist disappeared with a _pop_. Keith picked blue for his cast; the only thing on his mind at that moment were a pair of bright blue eyes that he was sorely missing.

He hated waiting, now more than ever. Pacing near the edge of his bed was Greg, his manager. He was one of Keith’s emergency contacts behind Allura. Speaking of his friend, Allura was ready to hop on a plane the second the hospital called her. Keith had to talk her down for a good hour, assuring her that they were fine. A bit banged up, but fine. Allura didn’t sound at ease, but she calmed down enough for Keith to finally hang up. Her concern was actually really touching.

He didn’t even know Greg was in LA until showed up at the hospital looking like he just rolled out of a business meeting. His tailored pinstriped suit was a shocking contrast to lab coats and scrubs that everyone here was sporting. Surprisingly he didn’t leave the whole time. They had already been there for about five hours, and Lance still wasn’t back yet. At that moment, Keith realized that Greg was far more protective of him than your average manager should have been.

Greg hung up his phone, sighing. “Insurance will cover most everything. The agency will pick up the rest. If Lance has any other expenses, I’ll see if we can help with that too.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes we do. Sendek may not be our responsibility any more, but you are. I can’t help but feel like this was partially my fault anyhow.”

“What do you mean?”

The older man leaned on the end of Keith’s bed, the bags under his eyes multiplying in seconds. “Earlier today, we let him go. There were just too many complaints about his behavior; his attitude. No one wanted to work with him. The job you two did last month was his final chance and he blew it. Sendek must have wanted to take his anger out on something. I’m just sorry it ended up being you two.”

Keith shook his head. “It’s not your fault. Sendek’s always been a dick and we’ve always been kind of hostile to each other since the start. It’s amazing something like this hadn’t happened before.”

He just really wished Lance hadn’t been there to suffer through it too.

“I’m going to talk to your doctor. See if you have to stay overnight. I’ll check up on Lance too while I’m at it.” And with that, Greg disappeared.

Was his concern for the other boy really that visible? Worry was eating him alive but until that moment he thought he was doing an okay job staying calm. Apparently not. Keith checked his phone, unanswered messages from the others blinking back up at him. Since Lance was currently unable to answer, Keith started a group chat between him and the others to keep them all updated on what had happened. Allura wasn’t the only one who wanted to fly to LA. Pidge mentioned something about hijacking a plane and for some reason; he just knew that they could pull it off. He read a few of the latest messages.

 Hunk: _They caught the guy, right?? Like he was arrested?_

Pidge: _Give me his name and social security number._

Shiro: _Pidge no._

Pidge: _Shiiirrrooooo_!

Pidge: _I’m just going to mess up his credit for like, ever._

Pidge: _Matt is backing me up on this._

Shiro: _No Pidge._

Shiro: _Matt, I’m disappointed in you._

Allura: _I might be with Pidge on this one…_

Shiro: _Not you too, Allura._

Keith: _Yeah, he was arrested._

Keith: _Pidge, do your worse._

Pidge: _On it._

Shiro: _NO._

Hunk: _That’s a relief. So how’s Lance doing?_

Keith: _Don’t know yet. Still waiting._

Everything would be okay if Lance would just come back already. This was really making him paranoid and no amount of pain pills could ease this worry. What was going on in this stupid hospital? Why were they keeping him for so long? The rational side of his brain said that Lance was simply being checked out. Probably getting an x-ray or something like that. The irrational side, the side that only acted up on rare occasions was whispering in his ear that something was wrong. That Lance was splayed out on an operating table, fighting for his life. It was a stupid thought. Completely unrealistic. But it was still there; haunting him. Keith stretched out and closed his eyes, wincing as he moved just a little too fast.

“Look who I found.” Greg said in a sing song voice.

Keith’s eyes flung open and he sat up nearly just as fast. “Lance!”

“Hey there beautiful.” Lance was pushing himself out of a wheelchair, smiling widely. He had dark bruise on the side of his face, but otherwise he looked okay. Keith slid off the bed and hugged him tight. Lance yelped making Keith jump back.

“Shit- sorry!” he panicked.

“It- it’s okay! Just… be a little more careful next time, okay hun? Commander Asshole managed to fracture a couple ribs.” Lance opened his arms and Keith went to hug him again, keeping his hard cast away from Lance’s sensitive skin. “On the positive, I’m not pregnant.”

Keith pulled away, his expression dropping into confusion. “What?”

“The doctors did an ultrasound on my tummy, and I’m not pregnant. Betcha you were worried, huh?”

A pause, and then, “You’re such an idiot.”

“I know.”

Lance carefully sat himself down the on the bed next to him, but sitting apart from each other just wouldn’t do. Keith sat next to him, studying the few little scrapes on Lance’s palm. He still hadn’t quiet processed everything that happened.

“I’m going to see about getting you two a flight out of here.” Greg was on his phone again, his thumbs moving incredibly fast. “I’m sure both of you want to get home as soon as possible.”

“Ummm are you sure?” Lance asked hesitantly. “I can get my own flight-“

“It’s fine, Lance. Besides, I don’t think Keith there is going to let go of you any time soon.”

He had a point. As soon as Lance was back in his sights, he made a vow to not let him go ten feet without supervision. Even though technically Lance rushed in to save him, Keith didn’t want him wondering off alone in case something like this happened again. Logically, he couldn’t follow Lance around all the time. But for the next few days Keith was going to be permanently attached to his boyfriend.

They sat for another 20 minutes before the doctor came around and told them they could go. The both of them received multiple prescriptions, with Lance receiving more due to his ribs. He was also subjected to a lecture by the doctor telling him not to engage in any sort of physical activity. He couldn’t even lift grocery bags that were too heavy. So basically all he could do was sit and wait for 6 weeks for his injury to heal.

Greg drove them to the apartment, clearly aware that Lance was staying there too. Keith wondered randomly if he had known all along. At the last second, right before he got out of the car, Greg grabbed his arm.

“Hey take your time coming back, okay? I don’t want Allura coming after me for making you go back to work too soon.”

A small smile pulled at his lips. “Yeah… I will. Thanks. For everything.”

When they unlocked the front door, no one was in the living room. There were voices coming from the other bedrooms but thankfully no one to pester them. All Keith wanted to do was get into bed and forget this night had happened. He also wanted to snuggle up next to Lance as best he could with the two of them getting more sore by the second.

“I think I’m going to shower real quick.” Lance lingered near the bathroom door. “I feel gross and don’t want to sleep like this.”

“Okay.”

Lance disappeared behind the door, the sound of the shower filtering through the door a few minutes later. Keith took this moment to let everything settle. He still felt tense that entire time in the hospital. His guard never down while he was surrounded by strange faces and that overwhelming sterile smell. Finally being in a place where he felt comfortable he was able to let himself relax. And that’s when everything hit him.

Keith went to the other side of the room. A floor length mirror hanging on the wall. He flinched at the sight of his black eye and felt angry knowing exactly who did it. The bruises on his neck had a deep color at some points where fingers pressed down into his skin. He pushed back his bangs and looked at the line of uniform stiches holding together the two sides of the cut. If he hadn’t already kicked his ass, Keith was ready to hunt down Sendek and pummel him into the ground. Sure, Sendek got what he deserved. A lengthy stay in a hospital bed and then a prison cell for a time. But Keith couldn’t help but feel that is wasn’t enough. He was angry. More angry then he had felt in a long time.

It was bad enough that he feared for his own safety, but Lance? His chest seemed to seize replaying the image of Sendek slamming his fist into his boy’s stomach. The awful sound Lance made as the blow fractured his ribs. He remembered Lance crumbling to the ground, unmoving, his own anger and fear spiking at the same time. Keith tried to run towards Lance, but Sendek cut him off aiming another fist. His drunken state made him a little too wild and Keith was able to dodge the blow, side stepping him swiftly. But Keith was a little wild too, trying desperately to get to Lance. He remembered feeling weightless for a few seconds, Sendek lifting him by his shirt and throwing him into the wall behind him. He remembered big hands coming at him and then the terrible sensation of fighting for air. And then he remembered Lance appearing out of nowhere and saving him for a second time.

That boy… that stupidly wonderful boy. How in the hell was he lucky enough to call that chivalrous mess his own?

 The bathroom door opened slightly and Lance poked his head out. “Hey Keith? Can uh… can you help me out for a sec?”

“With what? Are you okay?” Keith hurried over. He pushed open the door and saw that Lance was still fully dressed, looking a bit embarrassed.

“I’m good I just- uh- I can’t get my shirt off.” His cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. He went on to explain. “I can’t really lift my arms up too high without it hurting. The Doc said I’m going to feel super stiff the first few days, but it should get better soon.”

Keith let out small sigh, closing the door behind him. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for putting him in this sorry state. His cast made it a little difficult to move smoothly, but Keith began rolling up Lance’s shirt. He didn’t dare look at the exposed skin for fear that the sight of Lance’s injury would cause him to flinch unwillingly. He waited until the fabric was up an over the other boy’s head, letting it fall off his arms and to the floor.

“Holy shit… Lance…” It was awful. Horrible splotchy bruises were littered across his stomach going as high as his chest. They faded from red to purple to blue in some places. It was hard to imagine one hit did all that. His hands started shaking. “That must hurt like hell.” He breathed.

“Yeah… well not so much now. Y’know, pain meds. Only really hurts when I move.” Lance’s smile wasn’t the same. It wasn’t that bright encouraging expression that he had grown used to. It was hampered by something else. Something sullen.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked. He went to reach for Lance’s hand with his own, but pulled back when he felt the weight of his cast. The smile quickly faded from Lance’s face, his eyes hiding behind lashes. All the sudden a gentle hand found his uninjured one and Lance leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Keith’s. He was trembling. His shoulders, his hands, his lips. It was like an icy chill was clawing its way up Lance’s back making his whole body shiver uncontrollably.

“I’m so sorry, Keith.” Lance hiccupped, tears suddenly rolling down his cheeks. Keith was stunned, both by his words and the rapidly falling tears flowing from his eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

Lance closed his eyes, refusing to look at Keith as he spoke. “Th-this is all _my_ fault. It’s all my f-fault…”

“Lance… hey, look at me Lance.” He pushed up Lance’s chin with his fingers, forcing them to make eye contact. “What are you apologizing for? You _saved_ me.”

His words seemed to fall on deaf ears. “I- I should have gone w-with y-you. To the door. I shouldn’t h-have waited in the car. I sh-should have been there…”

“But you were there. You tackled that son of a bitch like a goddamn rugby player.” His pass at a joke managed to get a huff of laughter out of the other boy.

“Really? Rugby?”

“It’s a compliment. They hit harder than football players.”

Keith let go of Lance’s chin, his gaze flitting over to the bruise on the side of his face. “I should be the one apologizing. You got hurt because of me…”

“It’s not that bad-“

“Shush.” He held a finger up to Lance’s lips, his blue eyes growing wide. “Let me say this. I’m sorry you got hurt. And… thank you. Really. If you hadn’t been there… if you hadn’t come when you did…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. The fear of what could have happened clamping down on his voice. Things could have been, _would_ have been so much worse if Lance hadn’t turned the corner at that exact moment. If he hadn’t charged in like a goddamn knight in shining armor. Keith never had anyone like this in his life. He never had anyone he cared so much about or that cared so much about him. This feeling was so strange and powerful almost rending his mind blank and his heart into a fluttering mess.

“Let’s not talk about that.” Lance grimaced, his mind probably drifting into some dark territory. “I can’t even begin to tell you how scared I was.”

“Me too. But hey, we really did a number on that dick.”

Lance grinned, his cheeks still wet. “Yeah. We make a hellava good team.”

Keith couldn’t help but smile back. Even though his cheeks were tear stained and his eyes were still poufy, Lance was smiling again. That big genuine Lance smile that was so magnificent it should be framed and put in a museum. Scratch that, Keith didn’t want this smile to shine down on anyone else. He always had a bit of a selfish streak and right now it was blazing through. Lance was his. For as long as Lance wanted to be, Keith was going to be selfish and make sure those amazing smiles were always directed at him.

Lance slowly pulled him into a hug, burying his face into the crook of his neck. Keith gently moved into the hug leaning away from the bruised side of Lance’s body. He linked his arms together behind Lances back and pulled him a little closer. If they could only stay like this forever. Lance was quietly sobbing again, stray tears dampening Keith’s shirt. Thankfully he had stopped shaking, but he still hadn’t seemed to calm down all the way yet. He grasped at the back of Keith’s shirt, sucking in a quick breath.

Lance’s voice was hardly above a whisper. “I… I love you.”

Those three little words sent a shock wave through his body like nothing had ever had before. It was like he was numb and on fire all at the same time. Never in his life had heard someone say those words to him with such sincerity. Keith’s eyes grew wide as his mouth hung open.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Lance whispered, the sobs now missing from his voice. “You don’t- you don’t even have to listen to me right now. You can even forget this part of the conversation happened. Maybe this is the drugs talking or something but I just… I just had to say it. Before I lost the nerve.”

“Lance…”

“Let’s just- move on.” Lance pulled away, leaving Keith feeling strangely empty. He turned to the mirror and let out a low whistle. “Hot damn. I am a mess.”

Lance patted his face, whipping away the tears. His eyes flitted down his chest and his brows angled in concentration.

“Hey, doesn’t this spot look like a bunny?” he pointed to a spot right above his belly button.

The strange puddle of confusion Keith was waiting in vanished and he stared at the spot. “W-what?”

“A bunny. Look, there’s the ears, the tail… it’s totally a bunny.”

“Are you… are you serious right now?” Keith shook his head, trying not to seem amused.

“I’m always serious when it comes to bunnies.”

And they were back to normal. Lance had worked some kind of magic in those few sentences and Keith forgot about everything that was just said. He forgot about that three worded confession that had temporally paralyzed him. Instead he was consumed by a happy Lance, cracking jokes and making him smile.

The ended up in the shower together, Keith realizing that he too wanted to rinse off. That and Lance couldn’t reach up high enough to wash his hair. He nearly hopped in the warm water without covering his cast, the doctor’s strict words ringing in his ear when he looked at the steaming water. At Lance’s suggestion, he wrapped it in a trash bag and then followed his boyfriend behind the curtain.

It was nearly 2 AM when they both finally laid down. Keith moved one of the other beds so it was pushed up against his own. As much as the two of them wanted to curl up on the same bed again, Keith was paranoid that he was going to roll over and whack Lance with his hard cast, forcing them back to the emergency room. Lance moved so carefully when he laid down, his brow furrowed as he tried figure out what would hurt him and what wouldn’t. When he finally got comfortable he doze off immediately. Keith however, could not.

Keith lay on his side, watching the steady rise and fall of Lance’s chest. The spell he cast had worn off and now Lance’s hushed confession was replaying in his ear.

_“I… I love you.”_

He heart was racing just thinking about it. Lance didn’t give him a chance to say it back. He didn’t give him a chance to say anything. But really, was he ready to say it back? Keith had never been in love before. Not really. He had some pretty strong crushes before, drowned in lust once or twice, but love? What is love anyway? Keith had no idea.

There was no doubting that he liked Lance. He liked him so damn much that he’d much rather spend the day lounging in his apartment than anything else. The time away only seemed to solidify that. He didn’t know if that was what love was or if it had the capability to grow into love. But he knew that something like this, this feeling warming his chest and spreading to his toes didn’t come around often. This was something not everyone had the luck to find.

Right now, at this moment, Keith didn’t feel comfortable putting such a heavy label like ‘love’ on this. Especially since the definition behind it could be interpreted a millions different ways. Maybe that’s why Lance didn’t want him to say anything. Maybe he didn’t want Keith to say it back and not mean it. Maybe he was really was just loopy from all the pain meds. Maybe…

Whatever the reason, the words had been said and Keith felt bad for not saying them back.

 

* * *

 

After the attack, the boy’s spent another two days in California. They were questioned by the police again, the charges fully filed on Sendek. It was an open and shut case with little more for them to do. One more stop in at the hospital and then they were heading to the airport.

Turbulence was a bitch when it came to Lance’s ribs. It wasn’t too painful really, the hand full of medicine he took that morning was doing its job. It was more like an ache at this point, with the occasional dip of the plane causing it to flare. Keith hovered over him like an anxious little bird, flitting this way and that and hardly ever relaxing. He was being gentle, slow, and such a freaking worry wort. It was arguably one of the most adorable things he’d ever seen.

Apart from the way Keith was gently snoring on his shoulder at this very moment.

They had only been waiting in the terminal for a few minutes for Shiro and Allura to pick them up but Keith managed to conk out in a manner of seconds. He’d slept on the plane too; and yesterday after his doctor’s appointment Keith had fallen asleep in the waiting room. When he thought about it, Keith was always up before him too. All the sudden he looked down at the other boy and wondered: was he not sleeping through the night?

Lance began to worry that something was wrong. That something was keeping him up at night. His mind instantly went to the most obvious thing, the attack. But when they talked about it Keith didn’t seem scared or anything like that, he just seemed pissed that it happened in the first place. Apparently Keith wasn’t one to scare easy whereas Lance was still traumatized by the spider that fell on his face when he was 7 years old.

The one other thing that might have been keeping him awake and that had to do with three little words. Lance honestly didn’t know what he was thinking, saying that out loud. It was like the filter in his brain got knocked out and he couldn’t stop from speaking. It just came out, in a tender moment after he’d just had the biggest scare of his young life. He just had to say it, had to let Keith know how he felt. And now it appears that he freaked the other boy out.

_Awesome._

A phone went off and Lance reached into his pocket. It was a text from Allura saying that her and Shiro were ten minutes away.

He felt like a kid waiting to be picked up by his parents. It was actually hilarious how much the two of them were actually a couple without even trying. As far as he knew, they hadn’t made anything official and weren’t going to as long as Shiro was a shy mess of a man. Honestly, he was bravest guy he knew but in front of a pretty girl he was a blubbering mess.

A familiar car pulled up outside and Lance shook Keith awake. Allura hopped out of the passenger side and bounded like a gazelle to the two of them. Lance side stepped her, afraid that her eagerness might cause a little pain.

“Oh Keith! Lance! I’m so glad the two of you are back.” Her hair hid Keith’s face from sight, but Lance could hear a little chuckle.

Shiro appeared at his side, grabbing the backpack slung over his shoulder. “It’s good to see you Lance. I’m glad the two of you are okay.”

“Oh please.” He waved his hand. “It takes more than a doped out douche bag to take us down.”

“Still, _are_ you okay?” his brow creased in concern.

“I’m fine Shiro. Thanks though.”

The older man nodded, giving him a side hug. Allura had calmed down at this moment and pulled him into a composed hug. Her smile was so affectionate he could feel heart beat a little faster as the blood rushed to his cheeks. She was just too damn pretty. Keith shot him a look.

“Everyone one is so excited to see you.” She turned and grabbed Keith’s bag, rolling it to the car. “Hunk and Pidge, Matt and even Shay was able to come. Coran was going to be there as well, but he is in New York at the moment and couldn’t get away.”

“Really? Wait, where is everyone?” Lance asked. He opened the door for Keith before heading to the other side of the car.

“At the studio.” Shiro answered. “They ordered enough pizza to feed a small army. That’s what I get for leaving them my credit card.”

Excitement whirled in his belly as Lance settled in his seat. The drive from the airport felt like it took forever. Lance ate up the time by show Allura a plethora of pictures from their day at Disneyland. From the corner of his eye he could see Keith listening with a smile on his face. He’d occasionally add his own two cents but for the most part stayed quiet.

Shiro pulled into the studio parking lot and Lance hopped out as quickly as his sore body would allow. The idea of food and friends after such a stressful time was really exciting. His hand found Keith’s almost as soon as the other boy was out of the car. In the past few days it was like his skin was a magnet, constantly reaching out and searching for its match. When he laced his fingers with Keith’s he felt contentment spreading out to his limbs. Funny how such a simple act could do so much.

There was music and voices blaring from inside. As soon as the two of them stepped in both abruptly cut off and were replaced by various people saying their names. The small group rushed over, Hunk practically sprinting to his best friend. Keith had to block the big guy from tackling Lance; his own excitement making him forget how much a Hunk Bear Hug would actually hurt.

Pidge and Matt still seemed hell bent on taking revenge on Sendek for everything that went down. The mischievous siblings pulled him aside and began detailing their master plan to fuck with the guy for what sounded like eternity. He said that it wasn’t necessary, but words were hardly enough to stop the two of them.

Shay had brought along a generous amount of sweets, all of which her grandmother made especially for this occasion. Lance tried to claim a whole cake for himself but that idea was shot down quickly because it just so happened to be Hunk’s favorite. Best friend’s aside, it was a bad idea to get in between Hunk and one of his favorite foods.

They group of friends sat around to eat. A small pop up table had been pushed up against the normal one with a plethora of mismatching chairs surrounding the two to make room for all the people. It was loud, several conversations carried on at once. Lance jumped from one to another seamlessly, turning slightly every time a topic caught his interest.

It felt like he had been away years instead of a few days. Everyone was so happy and sweet, making him laugh dangerously hard at times. Keith seemed to be having a good time too. His exhaustion all but gone, laughing and chatting away. Maybe he was just being paranoid about the whole ‘I love you’ thing. Maybe Keith had forgotten about it like he asked. Then again, that second thought didn’t do much to comfort him.

By this time Lance’s belly was full. Four slices and countless cookies, it was a wonder he didn’t throw up. He didn’t feel much like talking anymore and took to drawing on Keith’s cast instead, listening to him and Allura talk about a line of eyeshadows that was apparently sweeping the nation. Some new brand or something like that. He was quietly amazed how much Keith knew about it to be honest.

Matt scooted next to Lance, his phone out. “Did you guys know you’re on TMZ’s website?”

“Huh?” Lance stopped, a half formed shark doodle on the underside of the cast. TMZ was one of the bigger named celebrity news outlets, but none of them had ever been featured on it. Not even when that picture got out of his and Keith’s first date.

Matt read aloud. “ _’Lance McClain, front man of the rising band Voltron, and super model Keith Kogane were transported to a Los Angeles hospital at approximately 8:30pm on_ _Thursday, February 2 nd. The two were involved in a bloody brawl after Kogane was heading home after a job. Eye witness accounts say that the two young men were attacked by a third party and fought back out of self-defense. The attacker (name unavailable) was arrested and charged with two counts of assault. TMZ reporters have reached out to both McClain’s and Kogane’s representation to find out the conditions of the two…’ _did they really reach out to you?” Matt turned to Shiro.

“Hmmm I don’t know. I haven’t checked my email in a couple days.”

Matt went back to reading. “ _’For the past few months, fans have been speculating if_ _the pair are romantically involved-‘”_ he glanced up at the two of them.

 It was understandable, after all the last time the media talked about their relationship wasn’t exactly a good moment. But Lance had been expecting this. He knew that between the two of them and the fans both had, people were going to talk. But if anything, he wanted to be in control of when that information hit the interwebs. Still, he might wait a few more weeks before revealing that information. It felt kind of weird that people would be so interested in his love life. 

Lance went back to drawing his shark.

“So… you guys are cool with this? With people talking about the two of you again?”

“Yeah.” Keith spoke up, watching Lance draw. “Not like they had picture this time. That was just too creepy. Besides I’m pretty sure word would have gotten out eventually, what with Mr. Instagram over here.”

“I’m not _that_ bad.”

“You’re an Insta ho.”

“HEY.”

Pidge’s head popped up from around their sibling. “He has a point you know. You just love your damn selfies.”

Lance grumbled. In a few days, he’d talk to Keith about it and announce it or whatever. One post on Instagram and then the flood gates would be released. Or so Lance came to imagine.

The party wore on and on, later into the night then anyone could have planned. By this time it was Lance who was the sleepy one. He flowed Shiro blindly back to his car, his eyes refusing to stay open for longer than a few seconds. He conked out in the back of the car, his face smooshed against the cool window.

Lance felt like he was drunk. Exhaustion pulling at every muscle and bone, making every little step feel like a marathon. He blamed it on the medication, but really it was just relief. Relief of being home, of seeing all his friends, that incredible sensation that everything would be okay. It was like a vail had been lifted, letting him finally relax.

“Thank God you have an elevator.” Keith mumbled.

“…Keith?” Lance was pretty sure he had been sleep walking or something, because he did not remember his boyfriend walking with them as they went inside. “When did you get here?”

“Been here the whole time, nerd. You are really out of it, huh?”

“Yeah… don’t know why but I’m super sleepy.”

“It’s been a long couple days.”

“I guess so.”

The elevator chimed. Lance followed Keith, his fingers gripping the back of his shirt. Once inside, Lance made a beeline to his bedroom. He flopped down on the comforter and winced at the same time. Even falling into bed was going to be a little more difficult for the next few weeks. His arm stretched out and landed on a pillow. Dragging it close, Lance felt the ever familiar pull of sleep.

“Bed hog.” Something nudged his foot. A few seconds later, Keith was leaning on the bed so that he was eye level with Lance. “Mind if I stay over?”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t” Lance shuffled over to the side of the bed and pulled the sheets down to make room for Keith.

This would have been the perfect opportunity to find out if Keith was having trouble sleeping. Lance kept his mind awake, repeating lyrics and trying to remember movie quotes. Anything to keep himself awake. But in what felt like a few moments, it was morning and Keith was already missing from his side of the bed. As much as he was burning to know what was keeping him awake, Lance’s own fears kept his mouth shut.

Band practice was postponed for the time being. Shiro wanted Lance to relax as much as possible and because of this ruling, it only took three days before Lance went crazy. Keith was pretty much in the same boat as him. He was particularly grumpy that he couldn’t ride his bike anywhere. The cast on his arm hindering his movements too much. He had to spend 8 weeks with that thing on while Lance only had a 6 weeks recovery time for his fractured ribs. The gloating happened often.

They both rode the train up and down the city, sometimes not even making it to one of their apartments because the commute was just too damn long. Lance was the first to enact this when he gave up half way to Keith’s and instead went to a coffee shop for some desperately needed caffeine. The look on Keith’s face when he walked in the door to meet him was priceless. Something between annoyance and amusement.

The only thing that neither of them talked about was Lance’s confession. Even though he said that Keith could forget about, Lance just couldn’t let it go. It felt like he made a mistake. Like he jumped the gun and managed to scare his boyfriend more than a fist flying at his face ever could. Because it was clear to him now that it freaked Keith out. He remembers feeling the other boy tense up; a tiny gasp escaping his lips. Lance was sure if he had looked at Keith after he said it he would have been ghost white.

_Don’t tell me I’m screwing this up…_

Lance whined, lying back slowly. He was alone today, huddled up in the recording studio with a guitar and an open notebook sitting next to him. Shiro may have wanted him to relax at home, but that wasn’t what he needed. What he needed was to stop thinking that he ruined his relationship by dropping the L-bomb. And what better way to do that then by writing a love song.

After weeks of muddling through a melody, Lance had finally come up with something he was happy with. It was lighter sounding that usual, had a little bit of a pop feel to it, but it was super fun to play and even more so to listen to. A few days before he left to California, Lance was sitting in this very room, laying down a track to work on. It was nowhere near ready for the guys to listen to. Lance hadn’t even begun to thing about how the others would fit in, he was just happy to finally feel like a musician again.

But of course all the lyrics he was coming up with were about love. Try as he might he couldn’t think of anything else. The idea consumed him, worried him and left him still feeling like an idiot.

He dragged his hands over his face and sighed. “…why did I say anything…?”

“What did you say?”

Hunk’s voice practically boomed, making Lance shriek. He jumped up, instantly regretting everything as he hissed him pain. Hunk hurried over and put a hand on his shoulder, concern tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“Its fine Hunk.” He grinned, the ache already fading. “I just didn’t realize you were a ninja.”

“Dude there is no way I’d be a good ninja. You know I sweat buckets when I’m nervous.”

“That’s just one of your many redeeming qualities, my man.”

Hunk chuckled at that. He walked into the room a bit more, dragging a stool from the outer edge into the middle. Lance saw his eyes trace over the notebook. “Finally back into writing?”

Lance nodded. “Yeah. Took way to damn long to get out of that slump, if I’m being honest. Now I’m just working on the lyrics.”

“Oh yeah? How’s that going?”

“Uh…” Lance didn’t really know how to answer that. It was going well, he had plenty of ideas running around his head that, with a little work, could be pinned down into something great. But the context of those thoughts were bumming him out. Lance sat cross legged on the ground and took a breath. “Look… can I talk to you about something?”

Hunk frowned a little, confused. “Of course, buddy. What’s up?”

“It’s… its Keith. I think I might have done something bad- well not _bad_ but something not all that good.” He spared a glance for his friend and saw even more worry plastered over his features. Lance continued despite this. “It was that night, after we had just gotten back from the hospital. I kinda well… I kind of had a bit of a break down.”

“Well yeah, that’s to be expected. Some guy attacked you.”

“Some guy attacked Keith. I ran in to help. Hunk, I was so damn scared just thinking about it…” his hands started to shake as images of that night flashed in his mind. Lance balled his hands into fists and took a moment to calm down. “Anyway, when we got back to the apartment, after a little while and after we talked for a bit I… I told him that I l-loved him.”

Hunk tried to control the gasp that passed through his lips, but to no avail. Maybe he was right; he’d make a lousy ninja. Lance didn’t really know what else to say, if there was anything else to add. He waited very patiently for Hunk to stop staring at him and to answer.

“Did he… did he say it back?” Hunk asked.

“No…” Lance fidgeted where he sat. “But I didn’t really give him a chance to.”

“What do you mean?”

Lance chewed his cheek, now a little embarrassed about all this. “Well before he could say anything it kind of… well I… I told him to forget about it? And I think I actually told him I was high on pain meds.”

“Laannnce.” Hunk shook his head, a faint smile on his face.

“I know! I messed up and I think I really freaked him out!” Lance pushed himself up and began pacing. “Okay like, things were going super well and then I had to go and say that?? Like why, why did I have to say that?”

“Lance?”

“’Cuz trust me, I know I scared him. He hasn’t so much as mentioned it since we got back. And when I said it he got all tense and weird and I don’t think he’s sleeping all that well and- oh god he’s going to break up with me. He’s actually going to break up with me. All because of my big mouth.”

By this time, Lance had migrated out the door and into the recording booth. He plopped down in the spinning chair behind the control panel, mindlessly spinning a nob. Hunk had followed his friend, letting him have time to finish his little rant.

“Can I ask a few questions now? You can pass to the next if you don’t want to answer right away.” Hunk laid out the ground work for this little therapy session. Lance nodded, swaying a bit in the chair. “Okay so, why did you cut him off before he could say anything?”

Lance frowned, thinking. “Pass.”

“”kay… why did you make up an excuse?”

“Pass.”

“Do you- are you actually love him?”

Lance stopped moving. His breath stuck in his throat like river suddenly frozen in ice. All this time he was freaking out about Keith and he didn’t even think about his own feelings. Was he just saying the words in the midst of a stressful situation? Did he accidently put this pressure on Keith without even having a clear view on his own emotional state?

_This might be worse than I thought._

Hunk waited like the accepting, patient wonderful human being he was. If they were at someone apartment instead of the studio, he’d be making cookies at this very minute.

After what felt like eons, Lance finally opened his mouth. “I… I don’t know…”

“If you love him?”

“…yeah.” It left a sinking feeling in his stomach, one that left him feeling gross and uncomfortable.

“So you don’t love Keith?”

His head shot up to Hunk, his words like a slap in the face. “I wouldn’t say like that.”

“But there’s no other way to say it. It’s one or the other.”

“You think it’s really that black and white?”

“Yep. Anything else and one person just ends up hurting the other.”

Lance worried about that above all other things. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Keith in any way. He cared way too much about him to let that happen. But before he could do anything else, he had to figure out his own feelings and if what he said was true.

“Hey Hunk, do you want to hear the song I’m writing?”

“Dude, of course I do.”

Lance went back in to the studio, picking up both the guitar and the notebook. There were several pages worth of cramped handwriting, certain phrases or words circled and bolded. He pulled out a music stand from behind the drum kit and settled down on the stool Hunk was sitting on earlier.

“So don’t have a chorus or much of a second verse yet… or a third… basically it’s pretty rough when it comes to actual lyrics, but I’ve got the melody down.”

Hunk nodded eagerly. Lance adjusted himself, resting on foot on the bar of the stool while the other touched the ground. His fingers rested on the first cord, the guitar pick between his fingers feeling as natural as breathing. Lance hummed the first few notes before he began to play.

The first few verse felt pretty good. They matched the intonation well and felt comfortable rolling off his tongue as he sang. After that it kind of all went downhill.

“I still need a hook.” Lance stopped playing abruptly, reaching for the pen behind his ear and crossed out a word. “I need like a word or a phrase that just- _y’know_? That just sticks with you after the song is over. That’ll help me get a handle on the chorus.” 

“You’ll think of something.” Hunk sighed. “You always do.”

Lance wasn’t really listening as he stared at the words on his notebook. “Hey instead of saying ‘baby’, what if I switched it out with ‘lover’?” he ran it through in his head and started getting excited. “Yeah… yeah! Then it can go; _When the rode is rough don’t you worry now lover/ I’ll be by your side, I don’t ever need another_ \- yeah I like that.”

He played again, a little quieter this time to solidify it in his head.

“Hey Lance? Can I ask you another question?”

“Mmmhmm, shoot.”

“What did you want Keith to say? Like, did you want him to say it back?”

It didn’t take him long to answer. “Yes.”

His chest fluttered, imagining what it would have felt like if Keith had said it back. Hunk walked over and put his hand on Lance’s shoulder. He squeezed firmly and smiled.

“I think you might have found the answer to my other question, buddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is okay. It feels a little choppy if I'm being honest. But I can only stare at it for so long before I loose my sanity. 
> 
> As always thanks for reading, comments and kudos! Y'all are awesome


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith does a lot of thinking.

In the little space that was left on Keith’s cast was being slowly covered by tally marks. The Sharpie he’d bought weeks ago was beginning to splay at the edges, making the lines it drew bigger and sloppier. He marked each day that he had to wear the cast, counting down until finally came off. Lance was already cleared by the hospital. Everything was all healed up and back to normal for his boyfriend and then there was Keith. Stuck with this horrible hard doodle on his arm for another week. Well, the drawings weren’t _that_ bad.

The strange drawings Lance had covered the cast with always managed to bring a smile to his face. There was a sleeping dragon on the back of his hand, a shark with half a boat hanging out of his mouth, a heart with their initials in it, and a lion with a large mane covering a few other doodles. Lance wasn’t the best artist, he actually was pretty shitty, but Keith still had the urge to show off his work to every person he passed on the street.

The thought made him blush, but not as much as sleeping boy next to him did.

It was early in the morning, or maybe it was late at night. Keith wasn’t really sure at this point. His phone was lost somewhere on the floor and he didn’t have the heart to move and risk waking up Lance. He just looked so damn peaceful when he slept. It was the one and only perk about this mild case of insomnia that seemed to be plaguing him.

Although it wasn’t quite insomnia, a condition he’d actually suffered through once when he was young. This was different. He was sleeping, but it was fitful and light. Every sound waking him and leaving him that way for hours. The small naps he took throughout the day were the only thing really keeping him from collapsing altogether.

It was weird, the only good sleep he could get were in pieces in the middle of the day in the strangest places. Like yesterday on the train. Or when he was waiting for Allura at her favorite café. Sitting on the floor listening to Lance play him a song.

If he could just quiet his mind during the night, then he might actually be able to sleep. But every night, without fail his thoughts would be racing making it impossible to relax enough to fall asleep. He knew exactly what he wanted to think about. What his mind was hinting at every time he closed his eyes. But it was just not something he wanted to deal with. Not now, when he was so happy.

Tonight was one of the more rare occasions that they ended up at Keith’s place. After going out with Pidge and Hunk to the movies, Lance followed him on to the train up town without saying a word. Keith didn’t mind too much, he just liked going to Lance’s more. It was bigger, nicer but above all it was just so much homelier. There were all these pictures everywhere of his family and of the band back when they were all in high school. There were hand-me-down pieces of furniture mixed with new, a handmade quilt tossed on the edge of the bed and a collection of drawing gifted from his younger family members.

By comparison Keith’s place looked like a homeless person was squatting there. Thank God he remembered to hide his Voltron poster before Lance came over. After all the shit he’d given his boyfriend the past few weeks about the poster on his wall, Lance would never let him live it down.

Keith turned back to looking at Lance. Having him here definitely made his apartment feel homier.

It was getting warm out which meant that Lance slept shirtless more often. The dark grey sheets of the futon bed were pulled down close to his hips, Lance’s patterned blue boxers just visible. Keith bit his lip, unconsciously thinking how much better those things would look on the other side of his apartment floor. It was an uneventful night and all the sudden he kept thinking of ways to make it less so.

Instead of acting on any of those dirty thoughts, Keith went back to staring at his cast. 6 more days and it would be gone. All the tangible reminders of that night washed away for good. Well, except for the scar on his temple, but Lance had assured him that it made him look like a badass. There was just one other thing about that night that he couldn’t forget no matter how hard he tried.

Keith decided to risk getting up and pushed away the sheet. His socked feet slide on the wood floors as he made his way to the bathroom. He shut the door quietly and then flicked on the light.

_Honestly, why am I still freaking out about this?_

The water from the facet was always cold, something that his super claimed couldn’t be fixed. He let the water run over his hand for a few moments before splashing it on his face. Keith repeated this a few times, letting the water drip from his nose and chin.

Keith had thought long and hard about what Lance had said that night. The hushed ‘I love you’ was so perfectly preserved in his memory, like it had just happened moments ago. Next to it was Lance telling him to forget about it. Lance, covering the moment with a smile and a joke. He really was good at causing a distraction.

In all this time, neither of them had brought it up once. He half expected Lance to, after all it was a big thing to say. But he didn’t. Every time they were alone, every time they were close to one another, he expected Lance to say it again. And every time, the moment passed.

In all this time, Keith wanted Lance to say it again. He wanted to hear those words so badly it was like it physically hurt him. His breath trembled as he legs suddenly began to feel unsteady. Keith held on to the sink with one hand, his cast hanging uselessly by his side. If only he had the same kind of courage Lance did in that moment, then he could be the one saying ‘I love you’. He could say it over and over again, peppering Lance’s face with kisses, tousling his hair, doing anything and everything to prove what he said was true.

Keith let out a huff of laugher and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

“… like you even know what being in love is like…” He ran his hair through his hair, slicking back his wild bangs and making the scar visible.

This is what was keeping him up at night. This fear that made him feel like he was a helpless little kid again. It shouldn’t be this hard. He shouldn’t be afraid to let Lance in. Already the boy knew more about him than anyone before. Lance had somehow leaped over all the barriers Keith had worked so hard to build over the course of his life. He sprinted passed them all and nestled himself close to Keith’s heart. Close enough where if he wanted, he could easily break it.

Keith didn’t think Lance was that kind of person; one to be so careless in that way. But Keith has been hurt by people claiming they cared and he’d never quite gotten over that sting. He’d never been able to distinguish an honest mistake from a calculated attack. Granted, his trust issues were well earned. As much as Keith wanted to hear those words again, as much as he thought he was ready to say them back, he did nothing. Nothing to move forward in the fear of being thrown all the way back to the beginning.

After drying his face with a towel, Keith tiptoed back to bed. He gently slide under the covers and fluffed up the pillow behind his head. Lance suddenly moved, rolling over and making Keith freeze. For a moment, he worried that he’d woken the other boy up. But Lance simply yawned, throwing an arm over Keith and hugging him. There was a content little hum from Lance and a faint smile pulling at the corners of his lips. Keith adjusted, scooting closer and tangling his legs with Lance’s.

_This is enough._ He thought calmly. _This will be enough._

Keith repeated those words like a mantra in his head, trying to convince himself that they were true.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh, finally!” Keith grinned as he jumped down the last few steps of the stairs. He couldn’t stop staring at his recently freed arm. If felt weird after being held in one position for so long. Keith rotated his wrist, slowly at first for the first time in two months.

Allura was behind him, pulling out her car keys. “Yes, now let’s not do anything to break it again.”

“Are you my friend, or my mother?” he teased.

“Depends on the day.” She threw him a look and unlocked the car.

Keith pull open the door and continued to revel in the full use of both arms. “Thanks again for taking me, Allura.”

“No problem. It’s the least I can do.”

Keith pulled out his iPod and grabbed the AUX cord. It was kind of hard not to pick something by Voltron, but seeing that Lance was constantly practicing and playing for him he’d barely listened to anything else. He settled for a band he knew Allura loved and turned it up for the both of them to enjoy.

“So,” Allura began after the first song had ended. “Do you have any idea when you’ll go back to work?”

He shrugged, watching the crowed of people shuffle in the crosswalk. “No, not really. Greg said to take my time, but I’m getting a little bored. I’m going to give him a call in the next couple weeks.”

“Is Lance not keeping you busy enough?” The woman wasn’t even trying to be subtle. Then again, Keith spent most of his spare time with his boyfriend.

“Lance has his own stuff coming up. Getting ready for tour and all.”

“Yes, Shiro mentioned that the other day. He sounded very excited about it.” Allura’s comment was casual but it cast a wicked grin on Keith’s face.

“Shiro, huh? So do you two talk a lot?”

Her cheeks took on a pink hue. “Not as often as I would like, but we do see each other every once and a while.”

“You see each other? As in, you two go on dates?”

“W-what! N-no, nothing like that!” she stepped on the brakes a little too quickly causing the tires to squeal for a split second. “We just… we just see one another as friends! After all, I’ve known Shiro for quite some time. It’s not unusual for the two of us to see each other from time to time. ”

Keith knew that there was more to this that she was leading on, but if he knew his friend he knew just how stubborn she could be at times. Allura wasn’t going to tell him anything until she wanted to.  So he decided the best thing to do was change the subject.

“Did Shiro tell you about their concert next week?” he asked.

“Yes, but I’m afraid I can’t make it. I start work on that independent film the next morning and will most likely be exhausted all month long. My call time is 4 AM every day so far.” She grumbled.

“That is rough.” He pat her shoulder sympathetically.

“I assume you are going?”

“Yeah, but I’m a little nervous.” He confessed. Keith kept his gaze focused on the car ahead of them.

Allura’s tone soften, something he recognized by the soft breath she took before she started to speak. “Now why would you be nervous?” she asked.

Keith grumbled. “It’s kind of stupid but… well you see Lance and I kind of went p _ublic_ with this whole thing…” he nearly banged his head on the dashboard calling his relationship a ‘thing’. It wasn’t the most eloquent choice of words. “His fans went batshit insane, mostly good things though.”

“Then why does that make you nervous?”

“Because tomorrow night I am going to be stuffed in a room with 300 of them. What if they, I don’t know… ask for a photo or start asking me questions or something.”

“Keith, you pose for pictures for a living.”

“Yes, I know that Allura. But this is different.” Keith tried to think why this was different. Why it bugged him thinking about strangers coming up to him out of the blue.

Allura outright laughed at him, slowing pulling to a stop in front of his apartment building. “Oh Keith you are such an introvert. And a tad bit paranoid.”

“I’ll own up to the introvert part, but paranoid? I just think ahead.”

“Yes, and then your mind dreams up all sorts of crazy possibilities that have no chance of coming true. Hence, you are paranoid.”

Keith didn’t bother an answer and instead he took a page out of Lance’s book and stuck his tongue out at her. Allura rolled her eyes and quiet literally shoved him out of the car.

Now that he had his freedom back Keith immediately went to downstairs to his motorcycle. He hurried down the stairs, pulling his gloves from his pocket as he did so. Tucked in the corner, looking too beautiful to be true, was his bike. Keith pushed back his bangs put on his helmet, texting Lance at the same time.

Keith: _I am back in action._

Keith: _Pick you up in 20?_

My Nerd: _AW HELL YEAH_

My Nerd : _I am going to miss drawing on you_

My Nerd: _WAIT. What happened to my masterpiece??_

Keith: _You mean all your crappy doodles?_

My Nerd: _Yeah!_

My Nerd: _Don’t tell me you threw it away!_

Keith: _There is no way I kept a smelly cast._

Keith: _Even if the Mona Lisa was etched on that thing._

My Nerd: _I spent so much time on that!!!_

My Nerd: _It was beautiful!!!_

My Nerd: _You don’t appreciate me!!!_

Keith: _Do you want me to leave your ass on the side of the road?_

My Nerd: _I’m just kidding babe!_

My Nerd: _Please don’t leave me to die._

Keith: _You weirdo._

Keith: _See you soon._

Keith turned the key and the motor sprang to life.

It was going to be their first real date in a long time. Keith and Lance had fallen into a very comfortable sort of relationship. One where they spent most of their days huddled up in each other’s apartments or meeting casually at a movie. But today was different. Lance insisted on an actual date and Keith was more than happy to comply. He had no idea what his boyfriend had in store, but it was sure to be a fun time.

Lance was standing on the sidewalk in front of his building. Keith’s heart thumped in his chest at just how damn cute he looked. Normally he would have judged a guy for wearing such a brightly colored shirt, but Lance somehow pulled it off. Annoyingly so actually. The vibrant yellow made his tan skin look absolutely beautiful. And here he was showing up to their date in a pair of jeans that were torn in at least a dozen places. _Oh well._

Lance stuck out his thumb like a hitch hiker. Instead of slowing down, Keith sped up and passed Lance in a blur. He could hear the Lance screeching at him as he turned around the block while he was laughing madly. Keith didn’t want to keep him waiting long and made a quick lap and then turned back on to Lance’s street.

This time however Lance had unbuttoned the top half of his shirt and rolled up the hem of his shorts so that his entire thigh was showing. He popped his hip and pointed his toe, looking like a damn pin-up girl. Keith slammed on the breaks.

“I knew that would work.” Lance practically skipped over, looking incredibly smug. “You are a weak man, Keith Kogane.”

Keith yanked off his helmet and glared. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

Lance obliged and leaned over, a hand warming Keith’s cheek before their lips touched. Keith’s fingers curled around Lance’s shirt as he tugged him close. Lance laughed into his mouth before settling down and pushing his tongue in a little more.  A little moan wriggled itself out of Keith’s mouth as a hand suddenly gripped his thigh.

He pulled back, a movement much harder to pull off when there was a boy ready to straddle you in the middle of a public street. “L-Lance… hey Lance. Ah! Stop that!” Keith yelped as Lance began going to work on his neck. He hated the fact that his neck was so sensitive and that Lance had discovered the spot so quickly. Well, he didn’t really hate it. It just felt so damn good that it rendered him useless for a bit. “Lance… hon… if you keep this up were never going to go on this date.”

Almost instantly, the attack on his neck stopped. Lance pulled away, his eyes wide. Keith felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Did he just do something wrong?

Lance enveloped him in a hug, practically shouting in his ear. “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. YOU CALLED ME ‘HON’. YOU JUST USED A PET NAME!”

“Lance! G-get off me!” Keith turned red almost immediately. He hadn’t realized he’d said that at all. Lance was always calling him affection names and apparently it had rubbed off. “Get off! You’re going to make us fall!”

The bike that Keith was still sitting on was tipping dangerously to the side. His one leg was straining with the effort of keeping it balanced.

“Whoops. Sorry. Got a little excited there.” Lance hopped back to the curb.

“Really? That is so unlike you.” He tried to draw attention away from his slip up to no avail.

“Honestly I was going to say the same thing, _hon_. Holy hell that was one of the greatest moments of my life. I need to like, memorialize this shit.” He pulled out his phone and spoke while he typed. “ _’On April 14th, at approx. 1:30 pm, Keith called me hon.’_ ”

“And at 1:31, I left Lance on the side of the rode.” Keith was trying to stop the blush that was making his entire face warm, but it was pointless. He was a flustered mess.

“You’re not going to leave me. Not when I have a delicious lunch packed in my bag.” Sitting on the curb was a bulging bag next to one of Lance’s guitar cases.

Keith frowned. “You really think you can carry both of those?”

“So long as you don’t drive like a manic.”

Their bantering could have gone on for another 20 minutes, but Keith didn’t put up a fight for long. His stomach was grumbling way too much to delay any longer. He tossed Lance a blue helmet (one that he picked up two days after their first date) and waited while the other boy adjusted himself on the spot behind him. Keith could feel the bag with their lunch pressed up against his back and hopped that Lance wouldn’t accidently crush it. Two taps on his shoulder, and Lance was ready to go.

 

* * *

 

The view from up here was stunning. Keith had never seen the city like this. So far away from all the loud noises, dirty streets and pushy people. It almost made it look serene. Peaceful. Beautiful. Of course once you were actually down there it was a chaotic, claustrophobic mess that always seemed to overload his senses. But hey, it was home.

Keith had absolutely no idea how Lance had managed to get them access to the roof of this building. It was an office building that he’d passed numerous times before without even giving it a second thought. Lance walked in to the lobby confidently; his clothes back to normal after having basically beginning to strip a while earlier. Keith hung back feeling nervous and out of place in building full of people in business attire.

Lance leaned on the counter, the guitar case on his back hiding whatever he was saying. A few moments later a burley looking security officer turned the corner.

For as much as Keith pretend to be tough and unafraid, this man made him want to run out of the lobby and dive into the nearest manhole to hide. His strong brow was set into such a firm line when he turned to Lance, Keith was sure they were about two seconds away from being tossed to the curb. But the man let out a hearty laugh and picked Lance up in a fierce hug. Keith watched with his jaw practically on the floor as the two talked jovially. Now they were up on the roof, with the best view of the city as the backdrop to their date.

“What kind of deal did you make with that guy to get us up here?” Keith asked as he watched Lance lay out a large picnic blanket that appeared out of nowhere. He must have stashed it up here earlier because there was no way it fit in their lunch bag.

“I promised I’d babysit.” Going off of the confused look on Keith’s face, Lance continued. “That security guard is my uncle and he had three very energetic daughters who happen to love me.”

“That sounds… nice? I don’t know, kids intimidate me.”

“How? They’re like, 3 foot tall bundles of joy.”

Keith huffed. “They’re like, always staring and it creeps me out. And I always feel like I’m going to make them cry or something.”

“You haven’t spent time around kids at all, have you?”

“No. And for good reason.”

“Somebody watches too many horror movies.” Lance chided. “Kids are fun. And they are the reason we get to enjoy such a view.”

Two pillows landed on the blanket and Lance plopped down next to them. Keith settled down next, stretching his legs out and breathing in warm air. His stomach grumbled and he looked over at Lance for food. When lunch was finally reveled, Keith very well considered throwing Lance over the edge of the building.

“Lunchables. You brought Lunchables for out date. I should have left you in front of you apartment.” He grimaced as his stomach growled again. “There is no way this is going to be enough.”

Lance grinned mischievously as he tossed the child-sized packaged at Keith who let it land in his lap. “Calm down pretty boy, I brought lots of options.” He reached into his bag again and began pulling out more packages. “I got cheese pizza, peperoni, a few of those little cracker sandwich ones and… oh! And nachos.”

“Nachos? They make nacho ones?”

“Apparently. Also, dibs.”

“Have fun getting a stomach ache.”

Lance was only able to eat about have of the cold salsa and liquid cheese before he had to stop. Then he dared Keith to try it and of course he did. Even though it was one of the worst things he’d ever tasted, Keith finished off the cheap nachos just to prove to Lance that he could. Always a competition between the two.

The blanket was littered with the plastic containers and juice pouches that had been squeezed dry. It wasn’t the best food in the world, but for some reason the fact that Lance brought Lunchables was incredibly charming and silly and just so typical _Lance_. Keith leaned back on his hands and listen to him talk. Reveling in just how much he liked this boy.

At some point, Lance had dragged his guitar case over and popped it open. Keith honestly lost count of how many instruments he owned. There was a whole wall at the studio just lined with guitars, but this was on he’d never seen before. It was an electric guitar, old and worn. What was once shiny black polymer coating the body of the instrument had long ago been stained with finger and hand prints. There were places where it had been completely worn down revealing the wood underneath. There were scratches and dents, all signs of a well-loved and frequently played instrument.

Lance strummed lazily, a habit that only intensified with their upcoming shows. The lanky young man slid from sitting to lying down with his head resting on Keith’s lap. Keith didn’t mind on bit, his recently freed hand trying to make a mohawk in the short brunette hair. It wasn’t really working, much to his dismay. More of less he created poufy spikes on the top of Lance’s head.

“So you excited about your show next week?” Keith asked after a long comfortable silence.

Lance hummed, nodding. “It’s a small venue, but I like those sometimes. Makes it more intimate y’know?”

“I guess.”

“Hey I forgot to ask, do you want to watch from the side of the stage instead of the in the crowd?”

“I.. I can do that?” his hand stopped, hovering over the brown tufts of hair.

“Yeah sure. I kind of figured you wouldn’t want to be smooshed in the crowd. You being _you_ and all. I already let the guys at the venue know that just in ca-“ Lance was abruptly cut off by Keith bending down and pressing his lips against his. Keith caught him with his lips still parted, the next word in his sentence lost for good.  

This was a gentle kiss, a rare one for the two eager boys. It was soft and sweet, conveying a different set of emotions than before. Neither of them pushed too far, keeping this moment as romantic as possible. When Keith finally pulled away he felt an incredible warmth spreading from his chest to every little cell of his body.

“Thanks Lance.”

“No problem, _hon_.”

Keith groaned and leaned back on his hands again. “Ugghhhh… shit. I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Nope. Never.” Lance sat up and pecked Keith on the cheek before sitting cross-legged in front of him. “Hey, how about I play you a song to make you feel better? I can take requests.”

Keith began listing off songs for Lance to play, all of which he refused and instead began playing a strange acoustic version of Bad Romance.

The date went incredibly well. Better then Keith thought it might. It was still a tad bit strange for him to be in a relationship like this; the fear of it suddenly ending still floating around in his head, but he was getting more comfortable with imagining being with Lance in the long run. He let his imagination run wild and began to think about other dates like this one in the future. With better food of course. Next time, he would be the one bringing food.

They cleaned up their picnic on the roof, pausing for the sun to set around them. Keith hadn’t realized how long they had been up there. He chalked it up to having such a good time.

Keith took a scenic route to Lance’s apartment, weaving between the cars with practiced ease. After their first ride together, Lance hadn’t stopped gushing about getting his own motorcycle. He loved the speed and the strange sense of freedom nearly as much as Keith did. His arms wrapped around Keith’s waist were still tight but that was more of a personal preference for the two.

Eventually he couldn’t stall anymore and Keith slowed to a stop in front of Lance’s building. The bike wobbled while Lance hopped off with his things.

“What a ride.” He smiled brightly, strapping the helmet back down on the bike.

“You’re welcome.” Keith smirked.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“Awesome, see ya Keith.” Lance kissed him quick and stepped on to the curb.

“Night… hon.” Keith mumbled out that last bit, too quiet for Lance to hear. For as embarrassing as it was to say it earlier he couldn’t help how satisfying it was to say the sweet name. It made everything feel more comfortable, more intimate. Like they were one of those couples who’d been together forever and would be together for many years to come.

It was in that moment, when Keith slipped back on his helmet and watched the door close behind his boyfriend when he realized that this wasn’t enough. The conclusion he came to the other night seemed so stupid now when he realized how he truly felt. Keith wanted more for the both of them. He wanted to be with Lance for a long time. Wanted to spend holidays with him, go on trips, cook dinner, buy him presents, anything and everything. It was in this moment that Keith realized he had fallen in love with Lance.

The drive home was one of the more reckless adventures he’d ever taken. The fact that he hadn’t been pulled over nothing short of a miracle. As he zoomed into the underground parking garage, Keith began trying to figure out when exactly everything had changed.

A few nights ago, he all but convinced himself that he didn’t know what love was. That never having a family or a home or any close friends growing up, he lacked experience necessary to fall for someone. But there was no doubting it now. Now after this incredible feeling racing through his veins making it impossible for his heart to stop pounding. It was either love, or he was having a heart attack.

Honestly the two probably felt the same.

Keith dragged himself to his apartment, tripping on the stairs as he walked. Once inside he flung himself down on his futon and began working through his next problem: how the hell was he going to tell Lance?

He already knew that sitting down and talking about it would end disastrously. Mostly likely he’d end up saying something stupid like ‘falafel’ or ‘olive’ instead of ‘I love you’. And also, just saying it didn’t feel right. Keith felt like he had to make up for the fact that it took a whole two months for him to say it back after Lance had confessed his feelings that night long ago.

Grand gestures just weren’t his thing though and that would only give him more opportunities to fuck up. It had to be something meaningful, something that would guarantee his message getting across, and something that didn’t require too much talking.

Images of Lance lying across his lap, strumming his guitar and humming began to playing his head. Like a perfect little daydream on repeat. If there was one thing Lance loved more than anything, it was music. He’d never said as much, but it was clear whenever he was singing or had his headphones on. The dreamy serene look on his face was just too damn beautiful for words. And the when he was writing his expression would jump from serious to overjoyed in seconds.

Lance loved music, probably more then he could ever say. Maybe… maybe he could do that…?

With a half formed idea in mind, Keith texted Hunk. Knowing that the big guy would be willing to help him if it regarded his best friend. Hunk answered almost immediately and promised to help anyway he could. Good thing too, he didn’t want to make Lance wait any longer.

Keith fell asleep that night still wearing his boots. It was the first time in a long time his anxieties hadn’t woken him up. He slept soundly all throughout the night.

 

* * *

 

It was their first concert in months, and it was exhilarating. From the moment he entered the building Lance felt this incredible excitement course through him. He absolutely loved being a musician. He loved creating something he was passionate about, working together with his best friends, and sharing it with a room full of people.

That and he liked the attention.

Lance couldn’t lie about that. He liked the spot light shining down on him, singling him out amongst the crowed stage. Call it middle child syndrome or whatever, but he liked being the center of attention for a long stretch of time. Not that he ever felt ignored, but every once and a while, when he was growing up, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t as special or important as his siblings. It was a tiny little blip on an otherwise amazing childhood.

Out of all the smiling and shouting faces in the crowd, the one whose attention he liked basking in the most was standing just off stage. The thrill of knowing that Keith was watching him sent him into overdrive. Lance did pretty much everything he could to show off. From jumping off the raised platform of Pidge’s drum set, adding in a few extra flourishes to his solos, to pushing his voice to near its limits. Holding the notes longer, emphasizing the lyrics, and letting the softer melodies carry his voice down a more gentle and calm path before diving right back into the hard hitting tunes.

More than once, Lance would turn to glance at Keith. The boy nearly made him faint when he showed up during sound check in a Voltron shirt. And it wasn’t a new one either; it was from some of their earliest shows when his siblings Anabel and Marco drew up the design one lazy afternoon. It only solidified the fact that Keith had been a fan for a while, something Lance kept forgetting because he was so good at hiding it. He had hoped the first time he went over to Keith’s apartment there would be a Voltron poster on his wall to make fun of. Much like Lance having a poster of Keith on his wall that he still hadn’t taken down. No such luck in that department.

Every time he looked over, Keith had the biggest smile on his face. He’d flush every time Lance looked over, nearly toppled over when Lance blew him a kiss, and then flipped him off when Lance pouted at no return kiss. Eventually, the people in the crowd noticed.

The song they were playing just came to an end, Hunk and Lance leaning back to back as they let the last note ring out. The roar from the crowd was ear shattering and sent another pump of adrenaline surging through him. Lance made his way back to the mic stand, taking a few second for everyone to catch their breath.

A few of the voices in the front row called out, shouting his name or Shiro’s (who was becoming increasingly popular even though he never really wondered outside of his side of the stage). There were a few random questions, song requests, all of it a jumble except for one question.

Normally he’d ignore things like that. Not because he didn’t like talking to fans, but usually it was so hard. This theater was one of the smaller places they’d been in a while and because of that, it was easier to engage the audience. Lance stared at the girl, trying to read her lips and confirm the question she was shouting.

“Who are you looking at?!” she shouted, a giddy smile stretched across her face. Her finger was pointed to the side of the stage.

“Who am I looking at?” he glanced to the side, his nose bumping the mic. “Oh, no one. There’s a table full of desserts back there that I am dying to dive into.”

The crowd laughed, all of them suddenly growing quiet to listen. Another voice called out, one further in back that he couldn’t attach a face to.

“It is Keith!?”

Lance bit his lips, trying to stall the wide smile from spreading on his face. God it was so weird that people were interested in this. Weird and kind of cool. Lance looked over at Keith who had gone a very bright shade of red. He knew that Keith handle attention differently. Hell the boy was a walking contradiction considering what he did for a living. Even though his face was red, Keith was smiling. He shrugged, not opposed to giving Lance’s fans the honest answer. Lance grinned.

“Okay so I might have lied before.” He adjusted the mic stand, drawing out the suspense. “So the dessert table it actually a cute boy and that cute boy’s name is Keith.”

The crowd was possibly even louder than before.  Lance keeled over laughing at the response that got. He looked over at everyone else who seemed to be having the same reaction. Pidge twirled their drumsticks in their fingers. They leaned over to their mic. “Stop gushing about your boyfriend already and introduce the next song.”

More chuckles from the audience.

“Damn Pidge, so sassy. Alright alright, back to the real reason everyone’s here. Except for a certain guy who won’t stop staring at my ass … ACK!” Lance sputtered as a clip board came flying towards him. It banged into his shins, stinging while the whole crowed erupted into laughter. This was sounding more like a comedy show then a concert. Pidge was howling with laughter along with Hunk who tried to hide it by turning around. Shiro had crossed his arms with an amused smile.

“OW!”

“Get on with the show already, nerd!” Lance looked up from rubbing his shin. Keith was still a little pink, but there was a confident cute smile on his face that might have made him blush. He flashed a quick smile and chucked the clip board back. Unlike Lance, Keith managed not to get hit and let the thing clatter to the floor.

He leaned into the mic, still kind of giggling. “O-okay… back to the real reason y’all are here. This next song is totally NOT dedicated to my tiny, easily fluster boyfriend. Its call ‘Hope Less Romantic’.”

An hour and a half later and Lance was ready to collapse on the stage. They only did one encore, the crowd shrieking and screaming for another but honestly no one had the energy. Even Pidge who was usually a little firecracker by the end of the set looked beat. Maybe it was because it was their first show of the year. Maybe it was the enclosed space that felt like it was bouncing with every beat. Or maybe they were all just out of practice.

Lance ran off stage first, sliding the strap off his shoulder. Keith was clapping; his eyes big and filled with an almost child-like wonder. The two embraced briefly.

“Did you have fun?” Lance asked, genuinely curious.

“Hell yeah. My inner 17-year old is pretty much dying.”

Lance giggled. “Aww that’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day.”

“Weirdo.”

The next hour was consumed by the line of people at the stage door. Lance was always surprised by how many people stuck around after the show just to say hi. All of them were practically bombarded as soon as the stepped out and poor Keith was nearly swept up with them. He ducked back into the building, reminding Lance of a grump house cat who hid from company.

As the crowd began to dwindle, Lance went back inside only to discover that Keith wasn’t there. He asked around, checking with a few stage hands already starting the tear down process but no one had seen him. He hurried to the dressing room, hoping Keith was there but it was empty too. Lance pulled out his phone and opened his most frequently used chat.

Lance: _Okay are you secretly a wizard?_

Lance: _Cuz I’m pretty sure you just apparated out of the building._

His phone was silent for a little while, making him worry. Lance lean against one of the chairs, his leg bouncing as he tried to figure out where Keith would have gotten to. His ring tone chimed loudly and his phone was up to his nose in seconds.

Keith <3: _Have I told you how big of a nerd you are?_

Lance: _Not recently._

Lance: _:D_

Lance: _But fo’ real. Where did you go?_

Keith <3: _I’m on the stage._

Keith <3: _Come find me._

It was a weird place for Keith to just hang out, but it’s not like Lance was going to question it. He walked out of the dressing room and made his way to the stage.

The lights had changed. The bright white that he noticed earlier had softened to a light purple color. Lance spotted Keith quickly, sitting on the drum platform and facing the empty house. He slipped next to him and noticed Shiro’s acoustic guitar sitting next to him. Keith jumped when he noticed Lance.

“Didn’t mean to startle you, sugar.” Lance winked.

Keith’s face dropped into bitter amusement. “Sugar? That’s new.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

“Shut up.” He jabbed him with his elbow. Lance chuckled and dropped his hand on Keith’s, drawing circle’s on the back of his hand.

“So, whatcha doing out here? Thinking about becoming a rock star yourself?” he joked. Keith smiled but also squirmed. It had become blatantly clear in the past few seconds that he was nervous. Nervous about what, Lance had no idea. He stopped drawing circles and covered Keith’s hand in a way he hoped was comforting. “Hey… is everything okay?”

Keith didn’t answer right away. Instead he began chewing his bottom lip, glancing at their hands from the corner of his eye.

“Keith…?”

“Could you do me a favor?” Keith suddenly asked, focusing on Lance with those stormy eyes. He reeled a little bit, taken back by the sudden intensity.

“Uh yeah… sure. What do you need?”

“Could you… could you stand over there? In the audience?”

Lance frowned and looked over to the empty space off the edge of the stage. There was no one out there which was a little strange. Usually by this time the night staff would be sweeping up any mess left behind. Even the long bar in the back was void of people. He looked back at Keith, confused.

The boy looked so serious it was actually kind of adorable. Lance squeezed his hand once more and stood. “Alright. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on, but alright. I’ll play along.”

He hopped off the stage and spun around, looking at the stage for the first time from this perspective. Absentmindedly, he thought how cool Keith looked on stage, bathed in that purple light. Maybe he really could pull off being a rock star. Or at least the look of one. Damn models and their chameleon like abilities.

Keith took a deep breath and stood, grabbing the guitar by the neck and slinging it over his head. He grabbed a stool that Lance hadn’t noticed off the platform and dragged it to the mic stand. He bumped into it, jumping a little when the noise bounced through the speakers. All this time, Lance was getting more and more confused. He’d taught Keith a few things, not full out songs or anything, just random cords. He picked it up quickly and Lance played around with the idea of Keith getting good enough to play with them. But that was just a fun little day dream.

A few moments passed with Lance just staring up at Keith expectantly. Finally, he spoke.

“So… I’m not really good with _saying_ things. “he mumbled, fingers grazing over the strings. “You’ve probably noticed… but the past few days I kind of- well there’s been a lot of _stuff_ I’ve wanted to say. And well… this was the best way I could do it without fucking it up.”

Lance was enraptured, watching the beautiful boy in front of him with eager eyes.

Keith fiddled with the strap and sat down, his eyes focused on the position his fingers were taking. “Shiro gave me lessons and Hunk helped me pick a song. Pidge made sure no one would be in here right now. He- uh Hunk I mean…. He said that you really liked this one. This song.” Just as he was about to start playing, he looked up at Lance with a funny smile. “And don’t judge my horrible singing voice. I’m trying to be romantic here and you laughing would just ruin it.”

He couldn’t help but giggle at Keith who threw him an angry look as a response. Lance put his hands up in surrender and clamped his lips shut. At that, Keith took another big breath. He checked the position of his fingers again, making sure that he had the right cord and then began to play.

As soon as he started singing, Lance was left breathless. Keith… Keith was incredible. His singing voice was very much like his speaking voice. Low and smooth, with little hints of gruffness from time to time. It was incredibly soothing and lovely; surprising him that this was the first time he’d ever heard it. Once Lance got over that shock, he started actually listening to the song. It was a song he knew, one that he loved, and one that he knew the words by heart.

 

_I just want you close_   
_Where you can stay forever_   
_You can be sure_   
_That it will only get better_

_You and me together_   
_Through the days and nights_   
_I don't worry 'cause_   
_Everything's going to be alright_   
_People keep talking they can say what they like_   
_But all I know is everything's going to be alright_

_No one, no one, no one_   
_Can get in the way of what I'm feeling_   
_No one, no one, no one_   
_Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you_   
_Can get in the way of what I feel for you_

As the song went on, Keith got stronger. His confidence in singing grew, his hand less hesitate on the guitar, a smile working its way on his lips.

As the song went on, Lance got weaker. Slowly giving into a wave of emotions that were threating to drown him.

Keith was singing to him, singing a song that he knew would get his message across. A message that Lance wasn’t ever sure he was ever going to get. But here it was, plain as day. The response to his whispered words he said so long ago. Lance could only think of one thing. _He loves me. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me._

He began humming along while happy tears began to pool the corner of his eyes.

 

_When the rain is pouring down_  
_And my heart is hurting_  
 _You will always be around_  
 _This I know for certain_  
 _You and me together_  
 _Through the days and nights_

_I don't worry 'cause_   
_Everything's going to be alright_   
_People keep talking they can say what they like_   
_But all I know is everything's going to be alright_

_No one, no one, no one_   
_Can get in the way of what I'm feeling_   
_No one, no one, no one_   
_Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you_   
_Can get in the way of what I feel for you_

 

Lance couldn’t wait for the end of the song. He couldn’t wait for that last cord. He jumped up on stage and pushed the microphone away, letting it fall to the ground with a boom. Keith yelped as Lance wrapped him up in a bone crushing hug. The guitar pressed between the two of them until Keith unhooked the guitar strap and let it fall. Shiro wouldn’t be happy about that, but neither of them could care less.

Lance was actually beginning to cry now, completely overwhelmed with joy. He pulled back and was met with the biggest, happiest smile he’d ever seen.

“I… I love you, Lance.” Keith spoke softly, the words sounding too perfect coming from those lips.

A huff of laughter escaped his lips as Lance basked in this wonderful feeling. “I love you too, Keith.”

The two embraced again, pausing for a moment to kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Keith sings is No One by Alicia Keys AND you can actually hear Keith [sing it](https://youtu.be/1mHJkLuZD64?list=LLw5BUPOCnxCjeHjcun6bw9g).  
> If anyone doesn't know, Steven Yeun is the voice actor for Keith! I've been dying to use this somewhere, but just couldn't figure out how to work it in till now. Also, the song Lance announces, [Hope Less Romantic](https://youtu.be/1Al4bH_Fmk4) is from Jeremy Shada's band, who is Lance's voice actor. So yeah, both guys sing irl and I am still not over that fact. 
> 
> this got long. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you liked this sappy, self indulgent chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is about to head on tour with Voltron and the two have to figure out the whole long distance thing. They've done it before, so everything should be fine, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Been kind of busy and I wanted to give this chapter the attention it deserved. So it ended up being the longest one I've posted to date lol. Hope you enjoy!

“… for fuck’s sake, Lance. Where did you put my pants?” Keith grumbled, ducking back into the bedroom.

There was no response from the lanky young man, currently lying on the couch with a video game controller in his hands. In the center of the apartment floor was a small suitcase that, up until an hour ago had been packed and ready to go for a weeklong trip. Keith made the mistake of taking a nap and when he woke up all the contents had been taken out and hidden around the apartment.

The guilty party (aka Lance) didn’t give any sort of hint to where all of the items were hiding and instead remained lounging on the couch while Keith shouted all sorts of obscenities in his direction.

“You’re seriously going to make me miss my flight, you know that right?” Keith shouted while digging through Lance’s closet for the fourth time.

The game Lance was playing seemed to get louder. Over the top gunfire and explosions filling the empty air. Keith had been a witness to his boyfriend’s pouting before. Once when they went out to a movie awhile back, Lance nearly cried when the place ran out of his favorite candy. He was fairly quiet the rest of the night, claiming that that one tiny inconvenience had ruined an otherwise perfect day. This however was a whole other level of drama that Keith wasn’t really surprised by. He knew going back to work was going to suck, especially now that all the cards were on the table between him and Lance. But he had begun to miss it, and so did his bank account.

“Honestly…” he shut the closet door, loud enough to be heard over the TV. It was his first job in months and he did not want to be late. He stomped back into the living room where his boyfriend was smirking. “I swear if I miss this flight, I’m going to… going to…” looking at Lance again, Keith noticed that he was wearing jeans. Black jeans with rips on the knees. Black jeans that were just a little too short on him.

“Lance. _What the fuck_.”

Lance paused his game, cackling. “Dude! That took you a whole hour to figure out.”

“…take them off.”

“Whoa, little forward today aren’t you?” he winked.

“Take them off now.”

“I love it when you’re demanding.”

Keith was standing next to the couch now, his knees bumping against the arm rest. “Those are my favorite jeans. You are going to stretch them out.”

“Are you calling me fat?!” Lance asked, aghast.

“No. But your ass is bigger than mine.”

“Aww thanks, babe. All those squats have really been paying off.”

Keith crossed his arms and huffed. “What squats? You don’t work out. You don’t even take the stairs up to your apartment.”

“You don’t know my life.”

“I know it well enough. Take off my pants.”

“Well if you insist-“ Lance sat up and grabbed Keith by the waist. He yelped as Lance pulled him on the couch with a surprising strength. In seconds he was lying on top of Lance while the other boy laughed excitedly.

He wriggled in Lance’s arms, a laugh beginning to build in his chest. “Th-that’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“But you got to admit, it was a little confusing.” Lance flashed that big beautiful smile and stole a kiss. “I’m just trying to spend some time with my adorable little boyfriend before he leaves me.”

Keith pinched his cheek. “Stop calling me little. You’re only an inch taller than me.”

“ _Inch and a half_. And before you say it, every little bit counts.”

This was an argument they had had plenty of times before. For some reason, Lance loved the fact that he was taller than Keith. At first he didn’t mention it; didn’t poke fun or make any sort of comment. It wasn’t until one night when Keith went to reach something from the top shelf that Lance made the first jab. After that, the short jokes were endless. Keith despised it for a while, but hey. It was better than the mullet comments.

Keith rolled off of Lance and to the floor, groaning all the while.  “I am so going to miss my flight.”

There was a rustling above him and a few seconds later, black denim dropped onto his face.

“You’re not going to miss it.” Lance’s voice sounded soft and sweet forcing Keith to pull back on the piece of clothing covering his eyes and look up. He was hovering above Keith now, such a fond look blossoming from his eyes. He licked his lips before he spoke. “I am going to miss you though.”

A fluttering sensation warmed Keith’s chest. He smiled, reaching up and trailing a finger down Lance’s cheek to his lips. Keith didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to. Lance leaned in and Keith sat up just enough so that the two would meet in the middle.

At this point, everything should have seemed ordinary. Every kiss predictable. Every touch anticipated. Every lilt of his voice, every crinkly eyed smile. Everything should have been transparent. He shouldn’t have been surprised anymore.

But he was. Oh he was.

With every moment they spent together, Keith was continuously amazed. Lance was unlike any person he’d ever met. He was a nerd, so damn loud, excitable and over competitive. He was sweet, understanding, stupidly attractive and incredibly kind. Each time he kissed Lance, it was new and exciting. It didn’t feel like they were kissing for the first time, it couldn’t after how intimate they had become. No… it was like… it was like…

It was like each time they kissed, Keith remember why he had fallen in love with such a dork. The moment their lips touched it was like a little jolt of _oh yeah… this is why_. In moments like this, Keith remembered all the other similar moments that warmed him up from inside out. Their first kiss in the rain, that night in the arcade, tackling Lance when he came to visit and all of the little moments in between. It was sweet and cheesy as hell, but hot damn did he love these moments.

Lance was the first to pull away, the look in his eyes could only be described as star struck. Keith wondering if he looked the same.

“… are you sure you have to go?” he sulked.

Keith sighed and gently pushed him aside. “Unfortunately. But it’s only for a week.”

“And after that…”

This was a conversation they both had been avoiding, one that Keith honestly didn’t think they’d ever get to. But with the day creeping closer, it was getting harder and harder to ignore. It was the last week of April and next month, Voltron would be going on their cross country tour.

“After that well… we’ll figure it out. We’ve done it before.”

“Yeah but this time is different. Were both gonna be busy. So no surprise trips.” Lance grumbled, sitting cross legged on the couch. “Long distance sucks.”

“Oh come on, it won’t be that bad.” Keith comforted. Lance raised one brow, looking at him with an unbelieving stare. “Stop whining, Lance.”

“I’m not _whining_.”

“Yes you are.”

“Keiiiitthhh! I’m not whining!”

“I can see it in your eyes.”

The young man crossed his arms and scowled, a look marred by the fact that he was sitting in a pair of black and white paw print boxers. Keith rolled up his jeans and stuffed them into suitcase, not caring anymore about how wrinkled his stuff would be. His phone began to buzz on the table signaling that his cab had arrived.

“Looks like that’s my cue.”

Lance hopped up and reached for the bag. “Here, let me go down with you.”

“You don’t have pants on, Lance.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“… yours?”

“Hmmm, I distinctly remember you telling me to take them off.”

Keith glared at him. A playful smile gracing Lance’s lips. “Since you stole my pants to begin with, your argument is invalid. Unless you want to fess up about being a thief.”

“A great thief though. I hide your stuff literally right in front of you.”

Ignoring that last comment, Keith’s phone rang again and he hastily answered it. The driver was getting a little antsy waiting for him. One last look around and Keith headed to the door.

“Text me when you land.” Lance leaned on the door, looking too perfect for words.

“I will. See you when I get back.”

“Yep. Now give me some sugar.”

Keith snorted and held Lance at bay with on hand. He rolled his eyes and tried not to blush. “Why do you have to be so cheesy?” he groaned.

A soft smile lit up those already bright blue eyes. “Because I love you.”

This time he couldn’t stop that heat that rose to his cheeks. It was such a vibrant feeling there was almost no real way to describe it. That or Keith lacked the vocabulary to do so. His arm fell to the side and Lance took the motion as an invitation. This kiss was easy, traveling from his lips and up to his cheeks. Lance brushed aside Keith’s wild bangs and pressed a final kiss to the scar on his temple.

Then the moment was ruined by Keith’s phone.

“Oh come on.” He grumbled. Keith didn’t bother with pleasantries when he answered and told the driver he’d be down in a minute. “Alright, I better go before this guy ditches me.”

“Yeah.” The unmistakable sound of a depressed Lance tugged on his heartstrings. Keith scooted his bag behind him and wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck, running a hand through his hair.

“Love you.” He breathed, it felt so good to say that out loud.

“Love you too.” Lance giggled and pulled away after a moment. “Now scoot or I will pick you up and lock you in my bedroom.”

“That’s a little kinky.”

“I’m well aware.”

After another round of goodbyes and on final call from the taxi driver, Keith stepped into the elevator.

This time last year, he would have been repulsed at the fact that he was so attached to a guy. This clingy behavior was something he scoffed at in his younger years and it was definitely not something he’d ever think he’d display himself. But hot damn, Lance just had that effect on him. This weird ability that made Keith forget to put up that front. He made him forget to act tough, to distance himself, to pretend to seem uninterested.

The boy was like a damn siren, drawing him close and making everything else around them look dull and flat. Keith was enamored with everything that Lance was. After 21 lonely years, he was more than ready to dive into this other world and get lost amongst the waves.  As overwhelming as it might have been, he was sure that Lance wouldn’t let him drown.

 

* * *

 

 

Really at this point Lance should have been used to this. No matter what he said, Keith was always gone longer than expected. A weeklong trip in London turned into an extra three days and now instead of coming home, Keith was in Paris for a fashion show. It was annoying as all hell, but practice for the long summer ahead.

And also the Snapchats Keith sent made things a little easier.

It took days to convince Keith to get a Snapchat. Actual days. Lance prepared a speech and even had testimonies from both Allura and Hunk on why he should get one. It was like he was a professor giving a lecture no one asked for. But somehow he succeeded and now he was graced with Keith’s dry sense of humor and adorable frustrated pout more often.

Lance was bustling around his apartment; already planning what he was going to take with him on tour. His phone chimed from its place in the kitchen. Lance bounded over in a few long strides and swooped up his phone. He pressed on the Snap from Keith eagerly.

“Oh Dios mío…”

He screenshotted it immediately, his heart beating a little faster. It was a mirror selfie of Keith with Allura standing behind him. She was hired onto this show months ago, much to Keith’s delight. Despite the somewhat goofy face he was making, Keith looked fantastic. Probably right in the middle of getting ready for the show. There was no way this was his real life.

Lance sank to the floor, swiping through the different filters the app had to offer. He had to send the appropriate response after all.

The door to his apartment rattled. The sound of someone unlocking the door unmistakable. Lance groaned and really wondered why Pidge still had a spare key. Them barging in was becoming more of a habit but at least they texted him beforehand letting him know they’d be over. Today’s visit was account of their WiFi. Pidge and Matt’s apartment was pretty much in a wormhole where the internet constantly went in and out. Refusing to waste more money at a coffee shop, Pidge decided to camp out a Lance’s place. Apparently one of their favorite website was having a sale and there were a few things both of the Holt’s were eyeing.

Pidge stepped in a confused tilt to their head when they realized that Lance was lying on the kitchen floor.

“Why?” they asked simply.

Lance sighed and let his arms flop to his side. “Keith sent me a Snapchat.”

“Y’know, talking him in to getting one might not have been a good idea. Especially if you’re going to act like this every damn time.” Pidge shut the door and locked it, setting their laptop bag down on the kitchen table. “Oh, Matt’s here too, but I made him take the stairs.”

“You made him?”

“I like to test out just how sensitive those ‘close door’ buttons are on elevators. The one in your building is by far the fastest.”

Lance chuckled, pushing himself up and crossing his legs. “Pidge, if I had you for a sibling I’d be watching my back like, 24/7.”

A smirk pulled at their lips. “Sibling or not, I’m pretty sure you already do that.”

Well, they weren’t wrong. A few moments later there was a loud thunk on the door followed by some incoherent wheezing. Lance only lived on the fourth floor, but it was common knowledge that Matt fled from any sort of physical activity. It was a combination of not being particularly athletic and also a mild case of asthma that caused this aversion.

“PIDGE. I AM SO GOING TO MURDER YOU.”

Pidge calmly unloaded their laptop and went to the nearest outlet to plug in their charger. Lance continued to sit on the sidelines waiting to see what would happen next. If his experience with his own siblings was anything to go by, it was best to just stay out of a petty squabble like this. Lest he be on the receiving end of Pidge’s tactical and prank heavy mind. So he went back to his phone and Snapping his boyfriend.

“Kathleen Rachel Holt, let me in!” Matt’s voice was still breathy but definitely more fierce this time.

“Whoa,” Lance chuckled. “He went all full name on you. When my mom does that, I know I’m pretty much a goner.”

Pidge casually stood, making their way to the door. “Ditto. But since it’s my brother, I don’t really take the threat seriously.”

The two of them turned when the door rattled. Probably from Matt kicking the door.

“Piiiiidge.” Matt whined. “You are the worst younger sibling ever!”

“I like to think that I made your childhood more exciting.” They grinned. Lance giggled.

The two for them went back and forth for a while, Pidge having no reason for locking Matt out other than for a good laugh. Eventually Matt calmed down and sat outside the door, the sounds from whatever phone game he was playing bleeding through the door every so often.

Lance continued going through his apartment, dragging a large suitcase from the hall closet to the living room.

“You’re already packing?” Pidge scoffed, poking the big bag with their toe. “We don’t leave for another week.”

“My dear sweet, Pidgeon.” Lance drawled, looping his arm around their smaller shoulders. “You’ve known me for well over a decade. Is it really so shocking that I’m already packing?”

“No, I guess it’s not. Now that I think about it, I’m surprised you haven’t started sooner.”

“Yeah well… I tried. But Keith made fun of me.” The memory was still fresh in his mind. A couple days before Keith left, Lance had begun sorting out what clothes he was going to take and also making a list of all the beauty products he needed to stock up on. Keith flat out laughed at him for a solid ten minutes. Lance watched with a scowl before tickling his boyfriend as revenge.

Pidge laughed loudly, covering their mouth with the back of their hand. “Ah haha…. that’s awesome. Have I told how much I like Keith? I swear he makes fun of you almost as much as I do.”

Lance grumbled knowing full just how much the two were alike at times.

Matt knocked on the door, getting their attention. “Hey I’m getting kind of hungry. Will you guys let me in if I order a pizza?”

“Only if you pay.” Lance and Pidge replied in almost perfect unison. Being friends for so long kind of had that affect.

Pidge didn’t let Matt in until the pizza had arrived. The three of them sat around Lance’s comfortable kitchen table, scarfing down pizza and breadsticks, talking about all sorts of topics. Of course the most common topic was the tour.

Matt wasn’t going to join them this time around, havening too much to do with his own job over the summer. In the past, he’d come along as an unofficial tech guy/ groupie. A title that he in fact gave himself. Matt would help with the load in, sound check acting almost like a stage manager. But that was before he had a proper job and before they hit it so big. Now they had a professional crew traveling with them instead of just the four of them and some helpful friends.

Come to think of it, this was their first really big tour. It was going to be so long, with so many shows all jam packed in that stretch of time. And the places where they were playing? Lance looked a few up and nearly fainted when he realized he’d be preforming on the same stage Beyoncé once used. He’d probably have an even bigger freak out when he used the same dressing room his idol stood in.

It would be lying to say he wasn’t nervous. Lance always was whenever he stepped out on stage. But the adrenaline that came with hearing the crowd and standing under those bright lights; it made his nerves melt away. Lance focused on that feeling, one he knew well he suddenly couldn’t wait for everything to begin.

Lance pat his face with a napkin, soaking up a bit of sauce that had ended up on his cheek. He pushed himself up and set his plate in the sink before going back to packing, all the while texting Keith.

Lance: _So how long are you going to be in Paris?_

Keith<3: _Few days._

Keith<3: _Got another show on Thursday_

Lance: _When will you be back??_

Lance: _Not to sound too clingy but I miss your mullet._

Keith<3: _Back to the hair jokes I see…_

Lance: _:D_

Keith<3: _I should be back before you leave._

Lance: _Should?_

Keith<3: _I haven’t booked a flight yet but I’m going to tonight._

Keith<3: _I want to see you before you leave._

Lance: _Ditto._

Lance: _As in_

Lance: _I want to see you before I leave._

Keith<3: _< 3_

Keith<3: _Shit. The shows starting._

Lance: _Work it babe._

Lance: _Luv you._

Keith<3: _Love you too._

It sucked that they were going to be apart for so long, but Lance was confident that it wouldn’t be a problem. He stared at those three little words for a few minutes more before Matt and Pidge began making kissy noises behind his back. Lance blushed and threated to unplug the internet router which got the duo to shut up pretty quickly.

However the morning before Voltron left for tour, there was a problem.

Lance’s phone was buzzing on his bedside table. The young man groaned and rolled away from the noise, willing it to stop. Sleeping on a tour bus was a bit hard for him. He didn’t have the superhuman ability like Keith or Pidge to fall asleep where ever they wanted. So, as had become a bit of a ritual, Lance usually slept the entire day leading up to tour. A kind of goodbye to his wonderful bed and all the deep sleep he’d most likely be missing out on.

The phone stopped after a few seconds, much to his relief. Then the damn thing decided to go off again. Lance pushed himself up and scooted over to the edge of the bed. He was very near fuming when he reached for it, ready to yell at whatever telemarketer decided to wake him up. But when he picked it up he realized that it was Keith calling.

A little confused, he swiped the screen.

“Hey hon, what’s up? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”

There was a sigh on the other end, one Keith used when he was frustrated. “Yeah I’m supposed to be. My flight got cancelled.”

“Shit.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Disappointment dragged Lance’s body down, slumping his shoulders and making him sink lower into the soft bed. “So… does that mean I’m not going to see you? Before I leave?”

Keith was silent for a moment, the answer already plain to both of them. “… I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Lance assured. “It’s the stupid airlines fault, not yours.”

“I know but, I still feel bad. Like I should have- I don’t know- picked a different flight or something.”

“Dude your like awesome and all that, but it’s not like you have ESPN or something-“

“- ESP. Oh wait, you were quoting ‘Mean Girls’ weren’t you?”

“Yup.” He giggled and was delighted to her Keith laugh a little too. “But seriously, it’s not your fault babe. It’s just… bad luck. Damn. I knew I should have locked you in my bedroom when I had the chance.”

“Lance.” A warning tone. One he used in anticipation to one of Lance’s jokes.

“I’m just saying. It was a good idea.”

“Yeah but not a very practical one. Ugh… what am I going to do with you?”

“I have a few ideas. Let’s just say the doors will be locked for a good reason” he winked even though Keith couldn’t see it.

“L-Lance! We’re not even on the same continent right now!”

“But think of the glorious reunion sex will be having when were in the same place.”

“My face is so red right now, people are starting to stare. Fuck you, Lance.”

 “You know you love me.”

“Yeah for some strange reason.”

“Rude.”

The two of them laughed, completely swept up in just how ridiculous they were. Lance wasn’t sure if he succeeded in making Keith feel better. It was hard to tell by the tone of his voice, especially since it was slightly distorted by the phone. The only thing he could really do was hope that he got through that thick head of his. This situation sucked, but they were learning. Learning the ups and downs of being successful, busy and in love.

It took a few moments for both of them to calm down. Lance tried to picture what Keith looked like right now. Hair a messy ponytail on his head, bundled up in his favorite hoodie no matter the weather outside, a fading pink blush dusting his cheeks bringing a delightful color to that pale skin. Was it possible to be this head over heels for someone? Probably not. They were knee deep in the honeymoon part of their relationship. Where everything was sunshine and rainbows, with kittens and puppies and all things cute were flying out the wazoo.

But right now? Lance couldn’t see this feeling ever leaving. It would become less prevalent, less in your face or whatever. But this feeling; this strong unyielding desire to be with this one person was always going to be there. Like a never ending song being strummed on his heartstrings.

_Dammit. I am in so deep and I don’t even care._

“I got you something.” Keith interrupted his thoughts. Lance grinned and practically jumped at the words.

“OOOOO what’d you get me?!”

“It’s kind of dumb, but I saw it and I thought you’d like it.” His voice sounded a little hesitant but continued anyway. “I’ll send you a pic. Also I kind of stole it.”

Lance blushed. “Aww you stole for me? That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

“Your standards for sweet things are a little out of whack.”

The morning passed by in a blur, their phone conversation ending with an impressive time of 41 minutes. Lance dragged his blanket to the couch and moved all the cushions to make a little nest for himself. A few seconds after he got comfortable, he got a picture from Keith.

He grinned wide at the image, the gift that Keith had stolen. It was a silver pendant on a long chain. It looked pretty small, a little bigger than a quarter, but it was very clearly a profile of a lion. Any gift from Keith was going to be amazing but this was just too delightful. Especially since Keith said it made him think of him.

Lance sent a plethora of emoji’s back as a response, along with a message in all caps about how much he loved it.

The next day, all of them were at the studio by 4 am. The sky was still dark. The faintest hint of morning was hidden behind the line of buildings in the east. There were two large tour buses, one with a small trailer attached to the back. People were flitting about here and there with all sorts of crates, boxes and cases being carted this way and that. Lance was eager to help with the load in and hurried to one of the buses. He practically squealed in delight when Hunk stepped off the bus.

“Hunk! My angel, my darling!”

“Mornin’. Need help with that?” he motioned to the large suitcase.

That was exactly what he was hoping for. Hunk lifted the case easily and carried it on board. Once inside Lance let out a low whistle.

“Damn this is nice.” The inside of the bus was fantastic. It opened up to a little sitting area with a kitchenette and a TV tucked up in the corner. Passed that were several bunk beds where Lance was most likely going to be losing a lot of sleep, a tiny bathroom, an small closet and another couple places to relax. Everything was decked out in a shiny dark wood accented with a cool blur of colors.

“This place is nicer than my apartment.” Lance continued looking around.

“I said the same thing, man.”

“It’s like were twins.”

“Whatever you say, Lance.”

After they had tucked Lance’s things away, the two of them headed out to help load in everything they’d need. All the instruments and equipment had already been packed away and was sitting in the middle of the studio floor. It was a mountain of things that somehow had to fit into the compartments under the bus along with the trailer. It was possible, for a Tetris master. Which they happened to have in Pidge.

Pidge was wide awake and almost cheery. When asked why they were the epitome of a morning person right now, Pidge revealed that they never went to sleep. To them this wasn’t morning, it was still the middle of the night. Between them and Shiro being organized as hell with a clip board in his hands, it was going to be smooth sailing.

With everyone’s help, it only took about 30 minutes to get everything in order. Lance and Hunk sat at the kitchen table of their bus, their stage manager Polly already passed out in her bunk a few feet away. Lance kept looking at his phone and then to the tinted window. It was finally looking like morning. Beautiful pinks and oranges slowly over taking the night sky. Pidge was like a vampire, ducking away from the morning light quickly and dashing past them to their bunk. Both him and Hunk chuckled.

For some reason, Lance kept hoping Keith would magically show up. Like that whole cliché in rom com’s where the two lovers run to each other in the middle of a crowded airport, or street or concert etc. etc…

Everything so far had seemed pretty magical, so why couldn’t this moment be too? Lance unlocked his phone and scrolled through his messages. Keith had left France only two hours ago and unless it was on a rocket ship, there was no way he’d be here on time to send him off.

Feeling a little annoyed at himself, Lance turned his back to the window and stretched out his legs. Shiro stepped on the bus a moment later, setting down a pink box of donuts and a drink carrier. Lance grinned and reached for his, savoring the warm sweet coffee as it passed his lips.

This is going to work.

 

* * *

 

 

“This is not working.” Keith grumbled, reading the instructions for the fourth time.

“Why don’t I show you again?” Allura asked, turning to look at him. The two of them were sat in Allura’s apartment. Keith on the couch with his phone to his nose while Allura was on the plush carpet sitting between his knees. She skillfully began picking out the tangles in her hair while her friend complained. 

“This makes no sense. ‘Separate the hair into three even strands’ blah blah blah… ‘cross 1 over 2, but make sure it stays under 3…’. I hate this. Can’t you braid your hair yourself?”

“Oh come on Keith, you know I can.” She sat forward and shook out her platinum colored hair. Keith watched with a tint on envy. He still had no idea how she colored it so perfectly.  In all the time he’d known here, he’d never even seen her roots start to fade into a shade less then brilliant. She leaned her head back and stared at him with big eyes. “Besides, it so much more fun when someone else does it.”

Keith sat back, avoiding those puppy dog eyes.

Allura spun around, her head perched on his knee. “Please play with my hair, Keith.” She whined. “Then I’ll do yours! I can French braid it if you’d like.”

To that, Keith perked up. He always liked the way French braids looked, especially when Lance did them. Of course there was a whole other part to when Lance braided his hair. It was sentimental or something like that.

Allura nudged his knee. “I can make it look like you have an undercut.”

“Deal.”

It took a few more lessons from Allura and a YouTube video until Keith was finally able to successfully braid her hair. All the while he too pictures and documented the night for Lance. He seemed to like communicating through SnapChat more; the pictures and video Keith would receive were absolutely hilarious. Although tonight he hadn’t gotten a single response from his boyfriend.

Logically, Lance probably couldn’t answer right now. Voltron had a show tonight somewhere along the east coast.

Of course with the logic also came the illogical which always seemed to be louder and more persistent than anything. Keith’s mind jumped to the most ridiculous conclusion; that Lance was ignoring him. It was stupid. More than stupid, it was crazy. But no matter how much he repeated that, how certain he was that it wasn’t true, a whisper of doubt lingered in the back of his mind.

_He’s ignoring you._

It was ridiculous. Especially considering Lance said he’d call after the show. Keith looked at the app again. Lance hadn’t even opened any of the Snaps. He closed the app and opened up Instagram instead.

The show was in full swing. The Voltron tag was filled with pictures uploaded seconds ago. Keith scrolled through them, a little jealous that all these people were at the show instead of him. But really there was nothing he could do about it. He had to work. Tomorrow he and Allura were off to Canada where the scenic, lush forests would be the background of the latest project he was a part of. Another week away from home and more worries to feed into his anxiety.

Allura noticed this slight shift in his mood and pushed herself up. “Would you like to do a face mask with me?” she smiled, already on her way to the bathroom.

Keith groaned. “Is it one of those creepy sheet mask things that make you look like Leather Face?”

“Yes. But you have to admit, they are so refreshing.”

 

* * *

 

Lance face planted on to his bunk. It was a feat more impressive considering that his was one of the higher ones. He felt around for his charger amongst the sheets and jammed it into his phone. Charging his phone had been a challenge what with all his restlessness. More often than not he’d be spending the nights sitting up scrolling on his phone or accidently unplug it while tossing and turning.

It took a while for the thing to sputter to life.

“Lance, what are you doing in here?” Polly poked her head around the corner.

The girl was like a real life mermaid. Amazing light blue hair that flowed like it was underwater, perfect makeup no matter the time of day and a dazzling sea shell tattoo that covered most of her shoulder. Personality wise, she was no sweet and innocent Little Mermaid. Especially if you were late to a sound check. Polly had been their stage manager a few times before and it wasn’t until recently that they all agreed to hire her for this tour.

“Hey Poliwhirl.” He sat up as best he could in his little cubby and smiled.

Polly crossed her arms and gave him a look. “Why are you being lazy? You do realize everyone is going out tonight, right?”

“Yeah I know, I’m just tired. That and promised the boyfriend I’d call ‘im.” Lance’s phone was finally back on, a flood of Snap’s from Keith coming in. He grinned.

“How long have you two been a thing?” she asked.

“6 months. Almost 7 now.”

Polly smiled. “How sweet. What’s his name again?”

“Keith.” Lance adored talking about Keith. He was the type of guy to gush about his lover to anyone who would listen. He could go on and on about the boy without even breaking a sweat. Polly leaned over and the two of them watched the Snap’s Keith had sent. Lance whined at the cuteness that was him and Allura having, basically, a teenage girl’s slumber party. By the look of things it included hair braiding, pedicures and facials.

“Hmmm….” Polly stared at the last picture hard before it disappeared. “He looks familiar.”

“Yeah, he’s a model.”

“No shit? Wait, was he the guy on the cover of Vogue last month?”

“You read Vogue?”

She lifted a brow and pursed her lips. “Duh. I mean have you seen my clothes? I practically belong in those magazines.”

She had a point. Her outfits were always on point. Lance giggled. “Yeah that was him. Let me tell you, I was at that shoot I swear to God, I dying.”

“I can imagine. How’d a hottie like him end up with you? You’re such a dork.”

“Miracles do happen, Polly.”

“Whatever. Well, if you want to come hang with us, just call. Shiro has his phone.” She turned to leave and Lance was left alone.

He checked the time quickly, making sure it wasn’t too late, and called Keith. It rang a few times before he finally picked up.

“Hello?” Keith’s voice instantly soothed him.

“So I’m just going to say yes to the undercut. As much as I love your mullet, you with short hair is also an A plus.”

There was some laughing in the background, probably Allura listening in. “Did you call just to say that?” Keith teased.

“Nah, I also called to say I miss you.”

“I miss you too. How’re things? How are Hunk, Pidge and everyone.”

“All good. They’re not here right now. There at some bar or something. Y’know, chilling after the show.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

“’Cuz I wanted to talk to you.” He shrugged, pulling at the pillow behind his head.

There was a pause, and then. “You didn’t have to stay in just because of me.”

“Nah, it’s totally cool babe. I’m super tired anyway and I had to charge my phone. Didn’t get too much sleep last night and its catching up to me.”

“Are you sure?”

Lance rolled his eyes, a little peeved. “Yes I’m sure. Now tell me about your day. Did you do anything exciting?”

It continued like this for a while. Lance would opt out of a majority of the after parties, snuggle up in his bunk and talk to Keith. And Keith would get annoyed. Annoyed that Lance wasn’t doing things. That he wasn’t enjoying himself more. That he was held up in a dark bus, completely alone and do nothing but talk to him.

 _That’s what being in a relationship is, isn’t?_ Keith would think, time and time again when he went to answer Lance’s call. Lance was just doing his duty and being a good boyfriend. Checking in, calling, making time for him. It’s not like they hadn’t been apart before. In the first few months of their relationship, Keith was hopping between states. But it was different, just like Lance had said, and Keith couldn’t quiet figure out why.

It shouldn’t have annoyed him. It shouldn’t have made him mad. But it did, and Keith began to feel guilty. Guilty of keeping Lance away from the fun that others were having, guilty of his own feelings. So many things running around his head that all echoed back to the same horrible conclusion.

Maybe this wasn’t working.

Lance was getting frustrated as well. Frustrated at the fact that he couldn’t actually see Keith. Never having a stable internet connection meant that Skype and FaceTime were nearly impossible. Lance just knew something was bugging his boyfriend, but without being able to see him, read his face and his body language, it was like the book he so loved was suddenly in a foreign language. Still familiar, but undecipherable.

He knew something was up. He knew that Keith wasn’t telling him what was really on his mind, and it made him worry.

Worry that this wasn’t working.

Voltron was in between cities at the moment. They had just performed in Nashville and were heading west to Texas. They had stopped in one of the many little towns along the way and seeing that they had the time, booked a hotel for the night. After all, one could only sleep on a tour bus with the same 5 people for so long. It was bound to make a person crazy.

Lance was sitting in the bathroom, the water in the shower running cold. It was taking forever to warm up. The young man stared at his phone, hard. The WiFi was slow, but working. There was a pretty strong signal. Everything was working just fine. So why wasn’t Keith answering?

A knock on the door broke his concentration.

“Hey Lance?” It was Shiro. “Hunk, Pidge and I are going to grab some dinner in a bit. Want to come?”

Lance looked back at his phone. This must have been Keith telling him to go out and enjoy himself. Like he’d been verbally telling him for last few weeks.

_Fine. I can take a hint._

“Yeah, gimmie five minutes.” He called back.

 

* * *

 

Keith trudged up the steps to his apartment, regretting his two year lease with every goddamned step. He contemplated just sleeping on the ground floor. After all, he was only going to be home for one night. In his pocket, his phone buzzed again and he didn’t answer yet again. Lance’s number flashing across the screen. It was stupid, he knew he was being stupid. But really, it was for the boy’s own good.

Lance didn’t need to spend every night talking to Keith. He needed to spend time with the others and have fun. They had plenty of time to talk, plenty of time to be silly and in love, once they were together again.

After what felt like eons, Keith finally made it to his door. He jammed the keys in and practically fell into his apartment. Fatigue was settling in his body like a swift cold, making it impossible to keep his eyes open Keith collapsed on his bed, thankful that he decided to wash the sheets before he left.

His phone rang again, guilt flaring in his chest. He watched as it rang and rang, eventually falling silent. And, not for the first time, he wondered if this was really the right thing to do.

Keith rolled onto his back, going through the same reasoning he did every time he began to doubt himself.

Yes, he loved Lance and talking to Lance was one of the highlights of his day.

Yes, Lance didn’t seem to mind not going out and talking. He said it over and over again when asked.

But Lance was a people person, an extrovert. He needed attention or else he’d wilt like a dying flower. With their current situation, Keith didn’t feel like their phone conversations were enough. That eventually, Lance would come to feel like their daily talks were more of a chore. Something he had to do, something he was forced to do, instead of something he wanted to do.

Keith didn’t want Lance to feel obligated to talk to him all the time in the fear that he would grow to resent it. That he’d blame Keith for not having fun on tour, not hanging out with his friends, not being his bright, extroverted self.

So he made the decision for Lance and didn’t always pick up when he called. A little part of him was dying, but this little sacrifice would be fine. It would be good for them in the end. At least, that’s what Keith kept telling himself.

 

* * *

 

“I think… I think he’s ignoring me.” Lance sunk into his seat, staring at the unanswered messages on his phone. This heartbreaking phenomenon had been going on for weeks now. It was slow at first, a missed call here, a forgotten text there, but now it had been a full two days with nothing but radio silence from Keith.

Pidge and Hunk were sitting opposite of him at the little kitchen table on the bus. The desert scenery was rushing past them. It was vast and beautiful and all of it was completely lost on the lovesick young man.

Hunk looked at Pidge, a concerned tilt to his brows. They returned the look, utterly at a lost for once for words.

“I’m sure he’s just busy.” Hunk put on his biggest smile for his best friend.

“For two days? I don’t think so.”

Pidge sat up. “Maybe it’s just a bad connection. We’ve been driving in some pretty barren places.”

“You and Matt have been texting fine.”

The two friends looked at each other desperately. It took a lot to make Lance this pessimistic. He was really hurting.

“He’s not ignoring you, Lance.” Hunk tried again. “I’m sure… I’m sure he’s just-“

“Busy. Yeah.” Lance pushed himself up and went to his bunk, hurrying past a confused looking Polly and Shiro along the way. He closed the curtain on his bunk and effectively shut out all the light. Once in the dark, his mind began to wonder into dangerous territory.

Why? Why wasn’t Keith answering? Was Lance being too overbearing? Annoying? Was he trying too hard? Last time they spent this much time away, they talked all the time. Between texts and Skype calls, he didn’t go a day without seeing the boy.

Maybe that was the problem. He couldn’t _see_ Keith. And Keith couldn’t see him. Lance remembered when Keith was in Hawaii and sometimes they wouldn’t even talk when they Skyped. Lance would be writing, or trying to and Keith would be scrolling on his lap top. Comfortable and casual. Like they weren’t miles away, but relaxing next to each other like always.

Maybe Lance was trying too hard to make this work. Last time, he didn’t even have to think about it. Didn’t worry. But he had made such a big deal about going away, about being in a long distance relationship, it was like he psyched himself out. Made it impossible for him to do the right thing.

Lance scrolled though his phone, reading old messages. Their earlier conversations were so funny to him now, remembering how hard it was trying to talk to Keith when he was so lost in his crush. It was glaringly obvious now at just how smitten he was at the time and it’s a wonder how Keith didn’t notice in the first place. They guy was a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

Outside his little hovel, his friends were talking quietly.

“How do you not have his number, Pidge??” Hunk whispered in a rush.

“I don’t know?! I guess I didn’t save it. You have it, why don’t you text him?”

“I have the _worst_ service out here.”

“I told you to switch plans years ago.”

“Guys,” Shiro interrupted their bubbling argument. He spoke a lot quieter than the others, causing Lance to lean as close as he dared towards the sound. “I don’t think interfering is a good idea.”

“It’s the only one we have.” Pidge whined. “And besides, Keith is our friend too. If somethings up with him, well…”

“…we want to help.” Hunk finished.

Lance was holding his breath, amazed at his friends. He didn’t realize that they cared so much about Keith. A quiet worry that liked to poke at his brain was that his friends did actually like it when Lance dragged Keith with him. That bringing along his boyfriend to movie nights and rehearsals was annoying for them.

Lance shook his head, amused at his own stupidity. Of course they thought of Keith as a friend, and not just Lance’s boyfriend. Thinking about it now, it was obvious. So their concern was doubled, for both Lance and Keith.

The steady motion of the bus was relaxing for once. His mind concentrating on the movement instead of his worries. Feeling the beginnings of a nap coming along, Lance took out his phone and texted Keith.

Lance: _Hope you’re having a good day._

Lance: _Love you <3_

 

* * *

 

 

“I think I fucked up.” Keith hissed, sinking down into his seat. Allura looked up from her bag, her hand hovering in the air with a tube of foundation gripped in her fingers.

She looked at him in the mirror, concerned. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” Keith looked down at his phone. The message from Lance on the screen. The message that was now a week old. There hadn’t been anything new from the boy, not even on Snapchat. Keith honestly did miss the text. He was passed out in an airport during a 10 hour layover on his way to a job. He didn’t realize Lance had texted him until the next day.

He remembered the swell of happiness when he read those words. It happened every goddamn time. But something stopped him from sending a reply. Whether it be the fact that his response would be a day late, or remembering the fact that he hadn’t said a word to Lance for two straight days before that; the fact remains that he didn’t respond. And it was eating him up with guilt.

Allura didn’t press him to say more, she simply waited and continued to unload her stuff. Thankfully Keith was the only model on his shoot, otherwise the seats next to him would be filled with people who loved to eavesdrop.

“I think… I think I might have made Lance sad…” God, he sounded like a five year old. Keith cringed at his choice of words.

“How so?” she took out a brush and began gently untangling Keith’s wild bedhead.

“Well… I just… I haven’t texted him back in a while. And at first I was doing it on purpose. I was... worried? Yeah, I was worried that he was spending too much time talking to me instead doing other things. Like having fun.”

Allura continue brushing his hair. The sensation soothing. Keith continued.  

“But see now, I haven’t heard from him in a week. I didn’t respond by accident and now… I don’t know. I think he’d mad at me.”

“Have you messaged him?” Allura asked.

“…no.”

“Why not?”

Keith bit his lip, trying to find words to explain his anxiety. “Because…. Because I just can’t. If he’s mad it’ll just seem like trying to make up for being a jerk. It’ll be too little too late.”

“No it won’t. And besides, you don’t even know if he is upset.”

“Yes I do.” Keith leaned forward, away from Allura’s comforting touch. “I did the impossible and managed to shut up the ever talkative Lance McClain. Do you know how impossible that is? How crazy it is? The guy texted me like, 6 hours after I gave him my number. He can talk for hour- _no days_ and somehow, I broke him. I made him mad enough or sad enough to make him quiet. I… I fucked up Allura.”

Allura watched with worried expression. It had been a long time since she saw her friend looking so distraught. It had been a long time since he cared so much about something, or better yet, someone.

The brush clattered to the ground as Allura wrapped her arms around Keith. She pulled him back against her chest, White hair falling over her shoulder on to his. Keith held on to her arms with shaking hands, breathing deeply and letting his friend soak up his worries.

“I know you’re nervous,” her voice was quiet in his ear. “but you need to talk to him. The only way to make things better is to _talk_.”

“But-“

“Shush.” She squeezed tighter. “You don’t know what he’ll say. But I promise you one thing, he won’t be mad. Maybe a little frustrated, but nothing that can’t be fixed.”

Allura snuck her hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. She held in in front of him and waited until he took it. When he finally did, Allura unwrapped herself from the hug and pat his shoulder.

Keith unlocked his phone and began to type. It took at least 6 tried before he finally sent the message.

Keith: _Hey, sorry about not answering. Just been busy._

Keith: _I hope you’re having a good day too._

Keith: _I love you._

Allura squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and went back to her work. Keith stomach was a bundle of wasps ready to rampage, but at least he was trying. To make up for being an idiot.

 

* * *

 

Lance was bouncing up and down with nerves. JFK was the one airport he’d traveled too that always managed to confuse the hell out of him. No matter how many times he’d look at a map or ask for directions, he’d always managed to get lost and nearly miss his flight. Lucky for him he wasn’t here to get on a plane. He was waiting for someone to get off one.

Waiting was terrible. It felt like he’d been waiting for years. Really it had only been about three months, but these last few minutes felt like they stretched on for eternity. Tour wasn’t over for a while and Lance and Keith didn’t want to wait that long. On his way back from Europe Keith managed to get a layover in NYC for a day, which was currently where Voltron was performing.

Things had been… better. After a week of nothing, Keith finally texted him back. They were talking again and things were better. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. There was still a nagging sense of frustration in the back of his head that he was trying to look past.

Lance checked his phone again, confirming the flight number for the hundredth time. The board thingy said that it had landed. So any second now…

The gate was suddenly flooded with people heading out. The people around him quickly multiplied as families began looking for their loved ones. There were laughters and shouts from excited people. Reunions happening all around him. Lance stood on his toes, arching his neck to look around the sea of people.

Then he spotted a familiar black beanie. Lance gently pushed himself through the crowd, getting closer and closer to the exit. Keith looked tired, dark rings around his eyes from lack of sleep. But when he spotted Lance, they seemed to vanish.

A bright smile enveloped his face and Lance felt himself unwind. Keith hurried over, slipping in between groups of people to get to Lance faster.

If it wasn’t likely to get him arrested, Lance would run straight passed that Do Not Enter sign and tackled his boyfriend.

Keith practically slammed into Lance, arms wrapped firmly around his middle like he’d disappear in a second. Lance chuckled and hugged back, his cheek pressed against Keith’s hair.

“I missed you.” Keith said.

“You smell like an airplane.”

Keith pulled back and fixed him with an unamused look. “Really? That’s what you’re going to say after three months?”

“Just stating the facts.” He shrugged.

“… you’re an idiot.”

“An idiot who missed his little mullet.”

Keith pinched Lance’s arm. “Stop calling me little.”

 

* * *

 

Lance practically danced next to him, an amazing feat considering that their hands were always linked. Keith listened quietly to him talk about all the places they had traveled. Some of the stories he had already heard via their phone and text conversations but there was definitely something magical about watching Lance retell the tales in person.

His free hand moved with every word and sometimes the other would drag Keith into whatever expression he was acting out. A large smile never left his face as his lips moved rapidly trying to keep up with his mind. Keith missed those lips and everything attached to them.

The city was just beginning to come to life. Night had come long ago, but now was the time where the bars and clubs were in full swing and the streets were full of people looking for a night of memories. And hopefully, they would be making a few of their own.

Lance had wondered around this city more than Keith so it was up to him to choose a place to grab a bite. He led them confidently to a small Italian restaurant. It was little busy but the wait was only about 15 minutes. Lance kept talking the entire time.

When they were seated, Keith nudged Lance’s foot with his own. “You sound like you’re having a good time.”

“Yeah, I am.” He grinned, glancing at Keith from over the menu. “What about you? Keeping busy?”

“Yeah. Figured I’d take as many jobs now while you’re away. Hopefully I won’t be as busy after you get back.”

Lance smiled at that.

Dinner was comfortable, like no time had passed. At least that’s what Keith thought at first. He noticed it whenever Lance was quiet, which wasn’t often. Something at the corner of his lip that he wanted to say, but couldn’t quiet catch. Something that threatened to pull that smile into a frown.

The worry Keith felt earlier began to bubble up once again. Maybe… maybe his text _was_ too little too late. Maybe Allura was wrong and Lance wasn’t okay. His thoughts began to run wild and Lance’s voice was beginning to fade into the background.

A piece of chicken slide of his fork. He watched it fall and splash into the sauce, little bits of red now decorating the white table cloth. Lance noticed the fall and pulled his glass away from his lips, setting it down. He left his hand on the table.

“Keith? You okay?” his fingers stretched out to Keith’s hand, still holding onto his fork.

Keith sighed. “… your mad at me.” His voice was barely a above a whisper. Keith kept his eyes down, staring at the half eaten plate of food.

“I’m not mad.” Lance said quickly. “Why’d you think that?”

“Your acting all _happy_. Too happy. I can tell when you’re putting on a front.”

Lance frowned. “Huh? What are you- look I’m not mad at you Keith? A little well…”

“A little what?” he pressed, finally risking a glance. Lance pulled his hand back, crossing his arms. His smile was gone.

“Okay so I guess I’m still a little… well… frustrated? Yeah, not angry or anything, just _frustrated_.”

“… because of me?”

“Well yeah.” Lance confirmed. Keith felt his stomach drop. He knew it. He just knew that he’d fuck this up somehow. Lance elaborated. “You kept ignoring me and like, I know you were busy and everything and it’s kind of stupid, but you weren’t busy all the time. Unless you model while you sleep, which even though you’re a like gorgeous I don’t even think you could pull off. It only takes a second to text back.”

The teasing joke did nothing to calm Keith’s nerves. In fact, it didn’t even register that Lance was fondly poking fun at him. All he heard was the bad.

Keith pushed himself up from the table and went straight for the door. The air in here was too heavy with all the food and the people. It felt like he was swimming through a cloudy pool of water. If Lance called out to him, he didn’t hear it.

The air outside felt heavenly as Keith moved farther away from the restaurant.

“Keith!” Lance called out to him. He was jogging, his face red. “Keith… what the hell? Where are you going?”

“Look, I get it. I fucked up. I’ll just- go.” He sped up.

Lance took a few long strides and stepped in front of him. “Dude, what the hell are you talking about? Are you… are you seriously just going to leave?”

“Yeah. Clearly something is wrong here if we can’t even make it three damn months without me ruining it-“

“Whoa whoa whoa… hold the phone. You didn’t ruin anything. So yeah, we had a little communication issues, but that’s fixable. We just have to-“

“Stop trying to make everything work!” Keith lashed out, his shoulders shaking. Lance’s jaw hung open, whatever else he had to say disappearing in an instant. “Sometimes things just can’t be fixed. I screwed up okay? I was worried that- that you were spending too much time alone. Too much time talking to me. Like I was hogging you even thought we were miles away.”

His whole body was shaking now. Eye stinging as he looked at the dirty sidewalk, afraid to look at Lance.

“So I did start ignoring you. Just a little at first. But then you just kept calling and texting- and the I kept feeling more and more _guilty_ about the whole damn thing. I couldn’t just go back to normal… not after all that. So I just kind of… I kind of… shut you out altogether. For a little while. And now… now I can see that I really did fuck this up.”

The sting in his eyes finally gave way as a trail of tears began to make their way down his cheeks. It’d been such a long time since he cried. But it was the first time he cried over a person. The first time he felt the pain of letting down someone he loved.

“…Keith…” Lance edged closer, his fingers twitching in Keith’s direction.

“I’m sorry. Sorry for being dick. Sorry you had to deal with… whatever this emotional crap this is. I’m just gonna go before I ruin something else.” Keith pushed passed Lance and walked as fast as he could. He noticed a taxi pulling onto the street and waved it down.

“Keith?! Wait!” Lance was hurry after him. His voice mixed with an emotion Keith had never heard from that beautiful tone before. It was hurt.

Keith yanked open the door and told the driver to head to JFK. He didn’t look up when Lance called his name again and told the driver to go. His mind began to run wild.

_I fucked up. I ruined things again. Again! I should have known this would have happened. It always happens. Just when I start to get comfortable… just when I start to like my life… I do something stupid._

Keith thought of the many places he had lived when he was a child. The schools he attended and the homes he lived in. He was always so guarded, even as a child. But just when he was starting to settle down, just when he was beginning to feel like a normal person, Keith would be ripped from that life and thrown back into the system. He never knew the exact reasons why none of the homes he lived in worked out. But he knew it had something to do with him. Something about him, something curse or bad luck, made it impossible for him to be happy for long. It chase away all his foster parents, separated him from the few friends he made in school, and now the same thing happened with Lance. His bad luck followed him to the one relationship he wanted to desperately to hang onto, and tore it apart.

It was always him. Always Keith, who managed to let that curse control his life and mess it up. If only he were different. If only he wasn’t a screw up.

Keith sat in the back of the cab and silently cried. If his phone rang or a meteor struck the earth, he didn’t notice. 

The driver asked for a terminal, Keith just said whatever was closest. When he reached into his pocket for his wallet, something else fell out with in. Keith felt a fresh wave of unwanted emotions strike his chest. It was the necklace. The stupid lion necklace he stole from that show in Paris for Lance. He'd forgotten. Forgotten about the gift he was so excited to give. But now it didn't matter. He stuffed it back in his pocket, already planning to throw the necklace into his closet and watch it be buried by a mountain of clothing. 

The words hadn't been said, but it was pretty clear to him now. They had broken up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sweats*  
> please don't hate me.  
> i had planned this from the beginning. I am evil. But i promise, this story will have a happy ending. Stay tuned for the fluff, because i love writing it and it will be coming back in full, fluffy force.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just say the word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE  
> I don't think I've ever written so fast in my life.

The fact that Lance made it back to the hotel was nothing short of a miracle. It was like everything was clearing the way for him to get through. People avoided him, cars stopped and even the traffic lights turned so that he could cross the streets safely. The whole walk back, his phone was up to his ear. Keith’s voicemail answered for the fourth time and Lance quickly hung up to tried again. The next time, he didn’t even get any rings. It went straight to voicemail. Keith turned off his phone.

He waited until it beeped; giving him much needed time to control his voice. “Keith. Please pick up. I need to talk to you- just please tell me what’s going on?? Please please _please_ just pick up the damn phone…”

His vision started to get blurry as tears began to fill his eyes. Lance was close to the hotel now. He couldn’t just break down in the middle of the street. The solidarity of his hotel room, the quiet that being on the fifth floor provided, the chance to break down privately. He needed all of that desperately.

“Lance! Hey buddy I thought you were… you were…” It was Hunk. Good, sweet, dependable Hunk. By the look of it he was alone, stepping out of the hotel lobby ready to go on an adventure. Lance froze, every part of him motionless except for the tears that had finally bubbled passed his eyelashes.

Hunk hurried over and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder. “Lance? Lance… what’s wrong? Where’s Keith? Is everything okay?”

Lance took a deep, shuttering breath. “He… he’s gone. Hunk I think that we… I think that he just…”

Hunk shushed him and put one strong arm around Lance’s shoulders. He pulled him close, sheltering him from wondering eyes as the two hurried inside. They rode the elevator in silence, Lance trying to call Keith. It went straight to voicemail again.

The room that the two of them shared was close to the elevator. Hunk hurried him inside, propping it open just a smidge. Lance reached for the bed and slowly set himself down. His phone was clutched in his hand so tight, his knuckles were turning white. Hunk sat next to him, a bottle of water in his hands. He held it out but Lance shook his head.

“Lance what happened?” Hunk finally asked.

The last thing Lance wanted to do was talk about it. He didn’t want to relieve what just happened. Didn’t want to remember Keith’s raised voice and watery eyes. But he needed answers. He needed a clear head to sort out everything Keith had said and help him make sense of it all. He needed his best friend.

“Keith he… I think he just broke up with me.” A fresh wave of tears burned down his face, dripping down his chin on to his lap. Lance tried to stay calm but the words quickly overwhelmed him and he began to sob into Hunk’s big shoulders.

Hunk hugged him tight, rubbing his back and murmuring all sorts of comforting words.

It’ll be okay.

I’m here for you.

We’ll get you past this.

I’m sure everything will work out.

Right now those kind words were going in one ear and out the other. Nothing stuck when he was this distraught and all Lance could do was ask himself: _why?_

Why did Keith break up with him? He didn’t say the words, but getting in a taxi and telling a person you’re leaving is a pretty good sign that things are over. Nothing Keith said made sense to him. Nothing he _did_ made sense. Why did he assume that Lance was angry with him over a few missed calls? Why did he feel like he couldn’t make it up to Lance with a simple response? Why did he feel like this small problem was so much bigger than it actually was?

Why why why why why why _why_?

Did Keith actually think Lance was that petty? That he’d hold a grudge or whatever over something like that?

No… Keith wasn’t like that. One thing he knew for sure was that Keith wasn’t like that. Thinking over his words again, he realized that Keith blamed himself. He actually said that he screwed up. That he ruined it. That whatever just happened was his fault. Did Keith really think so negatively about himself? Did he really worry that much about each and every little thing?

How did Lance not realize this before?

The door flew open with a bang and both Lance and Hunk jumped. He pushed away from the big guy to see Pidge standing in the doorway looking flush. So that’s why Hunk left the door propped open. He must have texted them on their way up here.

“Lance? What’s going on?” they hurried over and grabbed his shoulders. “Who made you cry? Who do I have to destroy?!”

“Pidge…” Hunk sighed.

“Y-you don’t have to destroy a-anyone.” Lance hiccupped, cracking a small smile. He wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to slow his breathing. “Keith- he uh- he might have broken up with me.”

“… what?” Their green eyes went wide. All the fury they had in the past few seconds faded away. Pidge sat down on the opposite side of Lance. Hesitantly, they reached for his hand and held it tight. “I… what happened? I thought that- that you guys were good?” they asked softly.

Lance didn’t know where to begin. It all happened so suddenly. Their nice little dinner turned sour so fast. Going through it again, Keith had both sounded and looked so defeated during the whole thing. Like he’d already given up on Lance and was ready to be alone again. Lance hated himself now for not seeing that. For not saying something to make Keith realized that they were nowhere near the end yet. Their story wasn’t over.

“… and then he took off. Hailed a cab and got in. I couldn’t move for a sec, and the cab took off before I could even do anything. Before I could think of something to say. Now he’s not answering my calls and I think he turned off his phone. The last couple calls went straight to voicemail.”

Pidge and Hunk looked at one another, the both of them unsure of what to say. It was quiet for far too long, letting Lance stew in his emotions. He abruptly pushed himself up from the bed and began pacing.

“What the hell is that idiot thinking?” he huffed, hands clenching into fists at his side. “Of course I’m going to be a little peeved that he ignored me. And of _course_ I’m going to say something about it, but that doesn’t mean he has to freak out this bad! That does- it doesn’t mean he had to break up with me!”

Hunk stood up, holding out his hands. “Lance, buddy… just calm down.”

“I can’t! Not when Keith is being such a stubborn asshat. He didn’t even give me a chance to talk! Didn’t even let me explain that I wasn’t mad!”

Pidge chimed in this time, still perched on the edge of the bed. “Maybe there’s something else going on? Something that Keith didn’t – or couldn’t talk about?”

“I know what’s _going on_ Pidge.” Lance snapped. He made his way to the window and stared out into the city that never sleeps. When he spoke next, his voice was almost hollow sounding. “What going on is that Keith… Keith is a big dummy.”

“Huh?” The two friends were startled at the change of tone. Seconds ago, Lance was angry. And now? Now he looked ready to cry again.

Lance kept his gaze focused on the city. The lights twinkling brightly to make up for the lack of stars in the sky. “He thought I was angry. He _convinced_ himself that I was. Hell, he probably made himself believe that I hated him. Keith worries a lot. He cares too much, and… and I guess, he’s _so_ used to losing things that he thought... he thought it was going to happen again.”

Even though he usually told Hunk and Pidge everything, he never brought up the fact that Keith was an orphan. That he’d been moved around as a kid until he aged out of the system. Not once. It took so long for Keith himself to say it, that he didn’t want to betray that sense of trust by blabbing it around carelessly. They talked about it a little after that night, enough for him to realize why Keith tended to be so introverted. But Lance had thought that by the way he spoke, Keith was well over whatever happened in his past. But even if you’ve gotten over something, thought that you moved on, sometimes one small little thing can push back over that edge. All of his anxiety, all of his stress, had done just that. And Lance was sure of it.

He didn’t elaborate on what he just said, and kept moving forward. “I just wish… I wish I had noticed sooner. I wish I had realized that he was psyching himself out. I wish I had been better.”

Hunk put a hand in his shoulder and Lance leaned into the touch. He didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t even know what to do at this moment. He wanted to talk to Keith, to apologize for not being there for him when his mind ran away with all these crazy, negative thoughts. He wanted to make sure that Keith knew that nothing had changed in the past three months. They hit a bump in the road, not a wall. This was fixable. They could get past this.

Keith just needed to give Lance a chance.

There was a light knock on the door and he could feel Hunk turn.

“Hunk? I got your text. What’s going on- Lance?”

Lance turned to the voice, his eyes watery. Shiro looked a little pale, his brow creased with concern. Without much thought, Lance reached to him. Shiro crossed the room in an instant, hugging Lance fiercely. The young man began to cry again, harder this time. Being comforted like this again by Shiro brought up way too many memories about another break up that left him a wreak.

However when Nyma broke up with him, it was like getting hit by a train. With Keith, it was like being hit by a meteor, brought back as a zombie only to get your head knocked off with a baseball bat.

“T-Takashi…” he mumbled into Shiro’s shoulder. His chest felt tight and heavy, each breath coming in short gasps.

“It’s okay, Lance… everything’s going to be okay.”

“B-but Keith… dammit I l-love him so damn much _it hurts_ …”

“I know, I know. Just… breathe with me. Okay? Breath with me and then we can figure everything out.”

Doing as he was told, Lance began to match the rise and fall of Shiro’s broad chest to his own.

Lance didn’t remember lying down, didn’t remember when he started crying again. He did remember Pidge and Hunk talking to him the entire time, with Shiro sitting across from them watching with quietly.

The days past by slowly. Inching along like a snail trying desperately to win a 10K marathon. Lance felt like he was walking in a haze that made it impossible to see clearly. Everything looked the same, but nothing felt real.

The only time he appeared to be himself was when he was on stage. Voltron was smack dab in the middle of their tour and no amount of heartache was enough reason to cancel it. That would just be unfair to all the people who paid to see them.

So Lance put on a show. Or as Keith had said it, put on a front. He was bubbly and smiling, laughing and energetic. Basically, he was himself. But the moment he stepped off the stage, the moment those bright lights pulled him out of his fantasy, Lance became a shadow. His smile faded instantly and he was back to thinking. Thinking about how to fix this.

He wanted to- _needed_ to talk to Keith. But every call the first night went unanswered. When he woke up the next day, he was determined to try again. Calling a hundred times a day if necessary. But when he went to call, Lance’s finger froze in midair and his own insecurities began to surge forward.

The last thing he wanted to do was push Keith even more. If anything, the boy needed time to calm down and get his head on straight. He locked his phone and lay back down, afraid of coming on too strong.

After a while, his worry became over whelming and Lance just had to know how Keith was doing. Still a little paranoid that he was pushing, Lance called Allura instead.

“Hello?” the sweet tone of her voice was comforting.

“Hey Allura.”

“Lance, how are you?”

“I’m uh…” That was a bit of a loaded question. One that usually didn’t require much thought. Lance decided to be truthful; after all, Keith always said Allura was a great listener. “I’m not that great, honestly.”

A moment of silence and then. “I’m so sorry, Lance.”

“Yeah… me too.” He grimaced, but moved on to the real topic. “How’s Keith? I- um- I haven’t heard from him.”

“I actually don’t know. He flew to Australia a few days after he came back from New York.”

“He what?”

“I picked him up from the airport, but he didn’t say much other than what happened between the two of you. I’m sure he left out plenty of details, but he seemed too distraught to even talk about it. When I pulled up to his apartment, he got out before I could say anything.” She sighed heavily and Lance could just imagine the concern etched on her face. “Lance, please tell me everything that happened.”

So Lance retold the tale again, of dinner and the fall out that happened afterwards. Allura’s reaction wasn’t exactly what he expected.

“That dunce. I _told_ him not to overthink things.” She sighed loudly. “And now he’s gone and broke you heart… I swear that boy is going to be the death of me.”

Lance chuckled. A little bit of that pressure finally being relieved.

“Do you want me to call him?” she asked. “Get him to call you back?”

“Kinda? But I don’t want to be pushy. He was really… really in a bad place when I last saw him. I want to make sure he has enough time to clear his head so that he’ll actually listen, y’know?”

“I do know. We haven’t known each other long, but besides you I probably know Keith better than anyone.” Allura’s voice had taken almost a dreamy quality to it as she began to reminisce. “Keith has a tendency to stay quiet when it comes to his real emotions, letting things build until it becomes too much. It makes him silly, all paranoid and he starts to think the most negative things. I’ve tried to talk to him before- and with you he was so open. I just wonder what changed.”

Lance shrugged. “We talked, but not about the important stuff. More like just- chatter to fill the air. Guess I let my mouth run away with me again.”

Allura let out a sympathetic hum. She promised to talk to Keith and hopefully by the time he came back to the States, he’d be ready to have a long conversation with Lance.

But Keith kept moving around, kept working, for a long time after his phone call to Allura. According to her, he was working like a manic. Bouncing from one job to the next with hardly a day in-between to rest. The boy was going to work himself to death.

 

* * *

 

Keith sneezed for what felt like the tenth time in under a minute. His nose was red and raw from all the tissues and his throat didn’t feel much better. Somewhere between all those airports, he managed to catch a cold and a very stubborn one at that. To avoid passing it on to anyone else, Keith wore one of those little cloth masks over his mouth and nose while trying to sleep on a crowed plane.

He knew this could have easily been prevented. Knew that he didn’t have to work this much. But there were too many things that were clouding his mind that only went away when he was busy. The main thing he was trying to forget was Lance.

Stupid, wonderful Lance. Lance, who was so talented and so kind. Who smiled at you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered. Who did everything he could to make others smile. Who Keith had so harshly pushed away because that’s just what he’s good at. One of the few constants in his life was his innate ability to push people away. People who had the potential to be important. To help him get through this stupid thing called life.

It was an amazing feat that he still had Allura to call his friend after all the shit he put her through.

He coughed this time, pulling at the mask and using his sleeve instead to catch it. The lady next to him glared for the hundredth time. Keith wanted to snap at her, but he was feeling too gross to even muster up a witty response. Keith leaned against the window and pulled his arms close to his chest. In just two more hours, he’d be home. Back to his shitty little apartment in a city big enough to avoid any and all pretty guitar players and their charming smiles.

The day after everything went down, Keith remembered turning on his phone while waiting for his flight. Spending a day in an airport wasn’t new for him, but given the circumstances the night was nearly unbearable.

As expected there was a flood of missed calls and one or two voicemails all from Lance. The sight of it all sent a wave of emotions through his body that very well rattled his bones. Keith flicked away a stray tear, calmly deleting the voicemails and clearing his call history. Right now he needed time to clear his head and seeing more proof that he fucked up was just going to make him more irrational.

But this was Lance, and Keith just knew that he would keep calling and calling until he got a response. When he stepped off the plane back home and turned on his phone, Keith was surprised to see that there were no new messages. No new calls.

Lance wasn’t trying to reach out to him anymore. And it only took a day.

Keith hurried to the nearest bathroom, pushing past people left and right. He ducked into the last stall and cried. Loudly.

It really sunk in at that moment. It became real. He and Lance were done and it was all his fault.

When Allura came to pick him up, his face was red and blotchy. Her sharp eyes noticed immediately and Keith was dragged into a conversation he really didn’t want to have. Thankfully he got a text from his manager about another job. Keith answered without hesitation.

The next few weeks were a blur of airports and photo shoots, go sees and runway fittings. Never really stopping to think about Lance or the fact that he hadn’t called. Never giving himself time to relax. It was all about keeping busy, staying distracted, and now he’d gotten ill because of it. Keith fell asleep thinking and dreamed about a beat up old guitar, a tan hand teaching him different cords.

Early the next morning, Allura was pacing around his apartment looking worried. Each step on his hard wood floor was like its mini earthquake. The sound was booming on his aching head and all he wanted was for her to _stop_. He pulled back on the covers to tell her off only to see her face inches away from his. His fever heavy mind didn’t react beyond mild surprise.

“What.” He croaked. He coughed so much yesterday that he was surprised he had any voice at all.

“I think you should go to the doctor.” She said firmly and placed the back of her hand on his forehead.

“Allura… it’s just a cold. It’ll go away in a few days.”

“You said you first stared feeling sick when? Last Tuesday? That’s over a week ago now and you’re just getting worse.”

“Alllluuuurraaaaa…” he whined as best he could.

“I’m not risking it. You’re going to see a doctor whether you want to or not.” Allura grabbed the comforter and flung it off of him.

Instantly, Keith was freezing. He tugged on the edge of his sweatshirt, scrambling for any more warmth. The fact that he was this cold in a matter of second kind of backed up Allura’s nagging.

Keith sat up slowly, his head spinning the whole time. His friend wrapped him up in a large sweater and pushed and pair of comfortable sneakers his way.

He couldn’t help but see the irony in this. He managed to push away the nicest guy in the entire world and now the universe was punishing him with the worst cold ever. Perfect.

Going do the stairs was a challenge. Especially when Keith tended to sneeze with his whole body. When they finally made it to Allura’s car, Keith pulled his legs up on the seat and fell asleep before she even put the key into the ignition.

 

* * *

 

Things weren’t good, but they certainly could have been worse. Lance was staring at his cereal box, nursing his tired vocal cords with hot tea. Hunk had insisted on the drink after last night’s show. He’d put just a little too much effort into the encore and managed to strain his voice. Shiro made it clear he wasn’t supposed to talk much to make sure he didn’t do any actual damage.

The tea wasn’t mixing well with his CocoPuffs. He’d take a few bites, then take a sip of the steaming mug and make a face. Really, he should have learned by now.

Last night show was a bit of a rough one. After they’d broken up, Lance practically begged Shiro to take one of the songs out of the set list: _Process of Illumination_. It felt like a life time ago when Keith had been hired on to star in that music video. Looking back on it now, Lance felt like he was a completely different person altogether.

Everyone agreed to take the song out, understanding what it meant to sing it night after night. He was doing very well keeping up his happy appearance on stage and didn’t want to end up in a puddle of his own tears in the middle of a song. That would be a headline that TMZ would love to get their grubby little hands on.

But last night during the encore, someone requested it. What started as one person shouting in the crowd turned into a whole flood of voices chanting the same thing. It made sense of course. That was one of the most popular songs off the album. Lance spun around in a panic, looking at his friends. Shiro edge his way over to him, turning his back to the audience.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He spoke firmly. Lance could see Pidge and Hunk nodding in agreement.

“It’s cool, guys.” Lance put on a smile to reassure his friends. “I can do it.”

When he turned back around, he was Lance McClain. The charismatic and energetic lead singer of the band Voltron. Nothing else mattered but putting on a good show.

Everything was fine up until the final verse of the song. The words hit Lance like a ton of bricks, and sent him into a bit of a flurry.

 

_I don’t want to go, I don’t want to leave_

_I just want to stay here forever_

_I don’t want to go, I don’t want to leave_

_I just want to stay here together_

_What if the bubble pops?_

_What will happen when the music stops?_

Lance wrote those words years ago, and now all the sudden they had the audacity to slap him in the face with new found meaning. What a bunch of bullshit.

After that, it was all downhill from there and Lance half shouted the last few lines of the song. Hence, the sore throat. Luckily they were dwindling down the last few shows of tour and Lance had plenty of time to rest his voice before they reached next town.

Next to him was his phone where he was waiting patiently for a text from Allura. Keith should be home soon, giving him the green light to try calling him again. Lance would have much rather done something like this in person but he was getting antsy. There were so many things he wanted to say, and that list was just growing with each passing day.

Polly shuffled into the seat in front of him, grabbing the cereal box with a playful smile. She was always the last one to roll out of bed after Pidge.

Just then, Lance’s phone went off. He nearly spilled his tea when he realized that it was a text from Allura.

 

* * *

 

 

The blanket covering him felt all wrong. It was heavy and stiff, and honestly it wasn’t doing too well of keeping him warm. Keith rolled over and pulled his legs as close to himself as possible. Something tugged at the back of his hand. Something itchy.

With a groan, Keith opened his eyes and realized that this was not his apartment. There was an off white curtain running parallel to his bed, the walls were painted a generic blue, and there was a steady stream of beeps somewhere off in the distance. Keith looked down at his hand and saw and IV attached to it.

“… what the fuck, Allura…” he mumbled, sitting up slowly.

The curtain was pulled back in one swift motion reveling said friend. Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even start with me, Keith Kogane.”

“You said a doctor, not a freaking hospital.” He dragged his hand through his hair and noticed that his hands were a little shaky.

“Well if you took better care of yourself, than I would have just taken you to the clinic.” She crossed her arms. “The doctor said you have the flu along with exhaustion _and_ dehydration. Really Keith, you had me worried. You could barely stand to get out of my car. And clearly you weren’t cognizant enough to even _remember_ coming in here.”

Keith grumbled, his head starting to spin again. He lay back down and covered his face with his hands. His skin felt clammy.

Allura sighed, her arms dropping to the side. She pulled a nearby chair to his bedside and sat down. “We need to talk.” She said flatly.

“No, we don’t.” he said quickly.

“Yes we do. Keith, you are not alright. You are hurting and confused and- and its showing! You need to stop ignoring everything and hiding in work-“

“Allura-“

“And you need to start _listening_ to people and not interrupt them.” She shot him a look that made his throat go dry. “Now, I want to talk to you about Lance.”

A pang of guilt and grief made him whimper. Keith pushed himself up but continued to look anywhere but at his friend.

Allura leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. “… I don’t think you should have broken up with him.”

“He would have done it eventually.” He muttered. “I was just… saving time.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. That’s… that’s how thing work for me. First it’s something little, and it just grows and grows until something just breaks. It would have ended the same. It always ends the same.”

Allura’s hand held his firmly. The skin of her hands felt warm and soft against his cold and clammy ones. He was a little surprised that she didn’t pull away at the feeling. “It doesn’t always have to end that way. After all, I’m still here.” She smiled at him, the first time since he woke up. It was quickly dashed by a grumpy expression. “Stop being so negative all the time, it’s really a very bad color on you and stresses me out far too much. AND you need to talk to Lance.”

Keith’s face began to feel warm with embarrassment. He royally fucked up but now he was starting to realize that it might not have been for the reasons he initially thought.

“I don’t think he even wants to see me. It’s been three weeks and he hasn’t called. Not once.”

“That’s because you needed time. And Lance is smart enough to know that.” With that, it seemed that Allura was finished. She gave his hand one last squeeze before standing. “Now, I spoke with your doctor and she said that you have to stay overnight. I’m going to run home and grab a change of clothes. Do you want me to get anything from your place?”

Keith felt a small smile pull at his lips, the first one in a while. “I’m fine thanks. And you really don’t have stay-“

“Of course I do. I told them I was your sister. It’d be a little strange for me to just up and leave my little brother all alone, wouldn’t it?”

“Y-yeah. I guess it would.”

Allura grinned and ruffled his hair affectionately. Keith watched her go, amazed. All this time, and he hadn’t even noticed. He had a big sister.

The rest of the time at the hospital was a bit of a blur. Whatever medication he was on for his flu symptoms was heavy stuff, making him drowsy. He ended up sleeping most of the time. Every time he was awake, he thought about Lance.

Allura seemed positive that any damage that had been done was easily repaired, given the time. But Keith still had his doubts. He really did expect Lance to call him. He really thought that the guy would at least text him. But there was nothing. Nothing at all but the crushing weight of silence. Keith desperately wished that he hadn’t deleted that voicemail. Now he had absolutely no clue what state of mind Lance would be in when he finally suckered up the courage to talk to him.

_Why did I push him away?_

Keith asked himself that constantly.

After getting pumped with fluids for a whole day, Keith was feeling much better. His fever was down and he didn’t have a pounding headache anymore, but the doctor (and Allura) insisted on bed rest until he felt 100%. Keith shuffled towards the main entrance and waited outside. Allura didn’t want him walking too much and she had to park far. He watched cars pull in and out of the drop off zone while others around him began to disappear. Keith took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling a small breeze ruffle his hair.

“Keith?” The voice that said his name made him jump. His eyes shot open as he looked for the person who spoke.

It was Lance. Lance was here, at the hospital, saying his name. Hunk’s car was sitting between them, Lance already out of the driver’s seat and holding the open door.

Here was Lance, the epitome of everything wonderful in the world and then there was Keith. Keith, who both looked and felt like shit.

 

* * *

 

 

Keith looked like hell. His skin looked a paler than usual, his eyes had tired dark rings around them, and his nose was bright red. Wrinkles were pressed into his sweatshirt making it look like a crumpled piece of paper and his dark hair was a tangled mess at the nape of his neck.

And Lance had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

He shut the door and hurried around the hood of the car. He wanted to hug the boy, wrap him up and never let go. But instead he hesitated. Lance stopped just short of Keith, keeping a respectable distance between the two and letting his arms drop to his side.

“I uh… hi?” his voice felt tiny and frail. He really hoped Keith didn’t notice.

“Hi.” It sounded like he had gargle rocks for a few hours. Allura wasn’t kidding when she said he was sick.

“Allura texted me.” He explained. “She said you were sick. Are you okay?” Lance couldn’t help edging closer.

“I’m fine… what are you doing here, Lance? I thought tour didn’t end until like, October?”

Lance shuffled a bit and stuffed his hands in his pocket. “Next week actually… but we might have cancelled the last few shows.”

Keith frowned. “What? Why?”

Lance fidgeted and looked down, his voice barely better than a mumble. “Family emergency.”

He could practically hear the gear turn in Keith’s head as he put the pieces together. Lance risked a glance and it looked like Keith had somehow gone a shade paler.

“Lance… you did have to-to… shit it’s not like I’m _dying_ or anything, it’s just the flu. And besides, its not like were even-”

“Dating. Yeah, I know.” His voice dropped and he couldn’t help but hear hollowness in it. That little piece of information was something he was likely never to forget. After all, it kept whacking him in the gut every time he so much as looked at Keith. Lance motioned to the car and turned, fiddling with the keys in his hand. “C’mon. Allura already left. I’ll give you a ride home.”

Keith huffed as best he could with a sore throat and followed. Lance opened the door for him and waited until he was situated to close the door. The short walk from one side of the car to the other wasn’t nearly enough to prepare himself for the car ride ahead. Lance knew exactly what he wanted to say, but now? With Keith actually hear to listen? He wasn’t sure if he had the balls to actually do it.

They rode in silence, the only sound coming from the radio and Keith occasionally coughing. Lance had forgotten his iPod on the bus. The bus that was still driving down some random highway. Lance hopped on a plane as soon as he could just to make it home quicker, to make it to Keith quicker. Allura assured him that everything was alright; she was just keeping him updated after all, but Lance had suddenly switched to autopilot when she revealed that Keith was sick enough to be hospitalized. Thankfully, his wonderful friends understood. Shiro had clasped his shoulder and promised that he would take care of everything on that end.

It wasn’t a long ride to Keith’s apartment, so of course Lance was ill prepared for when he pulled up on to his street. There was a couple spots open right in front and Lance pulled into one and shut off the car.

The seatbelt clicked and Keith shifted next to him. “Um, thanks for the ride.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

_C’mon, McClain… say something!_

“I guess I’ll see you around.” Keith reached for the door, ready to leave.

_Just do it!_

“Keith, wait-“ Lance voice waivered as soon as Keith looked back at him. It was those goddamn eyes. Those eyes that baffled him long before the two actually met. The color was always elusive in every picture, it shifted and changed in the daylight, the only thing he was able to liken it to was a stormy night sky. Whatever he planned to say evaporated and Lance was left stuttering like an idiot. “Keith I… I’m- I’m sorry.”

The seconds passed painfully. “You’re… sorry?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“Lance, you don’t-“

“Just shut up and let me talk, this time. Okay?” his tone was a little harsher then he intended. Lance glanced over at Keith who finally dropped his hand from the door handle. He nodded, his bangs covering his eyes.

Centering his thoughts, Lance took a breath. “I’m sorry that- that I didn’t notice. I didn’t notice how stressed you were. How anxious you’d gotten. I’m sorry for anything I did that made you believe that you had made a mistake. Or- or that for some reason you thought I was mad. I was never angry with you Keith. Yeah, I got a little upset that you were ignoring me, but after thinking about it for a while, I can see why you did.”

Lance was still gripping the steering wheel. He was pretty sure if he let go his hands would be shaking like leaves.

“You just wanted me to have a good time. You wanted to make sure that I was doing okay and not being a shut in, and I appreciate that. Keith… I just want you to know that, for me at least, nothing has changed. I still love you. I still- I still want to _be_ with you. But I understand if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to feel like, obligated or whatever-“

“How can you still want to be with _me_?” Keith’s voice was strained, and not just from his sore throat. “Lance, I fucked up big time. I pushed you away for no real reason. And you… you’re apologizing _to me_?”

Lance turned slowly, a dry lump forming in his throat. “Keith-“

“Just- just stop okay? Stop being so… good. I don’t deserve it.”

Lance never imagined someone else’s opinion about themselves would cut him so deep. He felt himself physically flinch at the intensity behind his words. Keith truly believed in what he was saying and it was heart wrenching to realize. Especially since Lance looked at him and saw the world. Not knowing what to say, Lance stayed quiet.

“I got so worked up.” Keith continued with his hands clenched into fists on his lap. “I was so paranoid that I did something wrong. And then when we met up in New York, I was so happy and you were so happy and I thought that everything was okay. But then at dinner… I don’t know, something just seemed off. Like there was something you wanted to say but couldn’t. So, I panicked. I thought that you were mad and I- I ruined everything....”

Keith’s body slowly unwound, every muscle relaxing after he finished speaking. Lance didn’t even realize he had been so tense and now, he was shaking. Keith trembled, his chest rising and falling in an erratic pattern. Tears were probably only a few seconds away. Lance scrambled for something- anything to say to prevent that from happening.

Almost instantly, a crazy idea surfaced in his stupid brain.

“Dude, you need to stop being so dramatic.” Lance chided. He smirked at the sudden wide eyed look Keith was giving him. “Honestly, people say I’m overdramatic but you’re puttin’ me to shame.”

He put on a hesitant smile, hoping that it would help Keith relax. Moments ticked by and neither of them said anything. This wasn’t a part of Lance’s plan, but a joke felt necessary. Not only did it ease the tension, it also made Lance feel more comfortable. More in his element so to speak.

Lance’s hands dropped away from the steering wheel and rested in his lap and let his mouth wonder. “It bugs me that you don’t see how amazing you are. How awesome. But I guess I get it. I mean- sometimes I feel that way too.”

“You do?” Keith’s expression shifted. He no longer looked ready to cry, but instead looked a little taken aback.

“Yeah.”

“But why?”

Lance groaned. “I don’t know, dude. Blame it on self-esteem issues, middle child syndrome, blah blah blah stuff like that.”

“Th-that didn’t make any sense.”

“ _Emotions_ don’t make any sense, Keith. And yet here we are. Spending each and every damn day trying to figure it out. It helps if you have someone to stumble through it all with.” Lance couldn’t stop looking at Keith, trying in vain to read his mind. He licked his lips in anticipation for what he was going to say next. “You deserve everything in life, y’know? And, if it’s cool with you, I’d like to help remind you of that whenever you need it. As your friend or, y’know… whatever you need me to be.”

And with that, all of Lance’s confidence slipped away. As was becoming more of a normal trend, he felt like he’d said too much. Keith was silently watching him the entire time. His gaze was unnerving because Lance couldn’t tell what he was thinking. 9 months of being a couple and he still couldn’t always figure out what was going on in that mulleted head of his.

Lance wanted to say boyfriend instead of friend. He was desperate to actually. But this was a delicate situation he was muddling his way through. Best to play it safe and let the other boy decide.

It took eons, but Keith finally spoke. “What if I don’t want you to just be my friend?”

The smile that was building on his cheeks was nearly painful. “I’m open to suggestions.”

“Good.” And he smiled. Keith smiled and it was like the world had suddenly gotten brighter. Birds were singing, the clouds in the sky vanish and Lance was almost positive there was a chorus of angels hovering near his ear. Keith leaned over the center console and looped his arms around Lance’s chest in a soft hug. Lance hugged back, so happy that this was happening, so fucking ecstatic that Keith was wrapped up in his arms.

“I’m sorry.” Keith hiccupped into Lance’s shirt. There were definitely some tears now. They pooled in the crook of Lance’s neck, dampening his shirt.

“I know.” He squeezed tighter.

“Don’t Han Solo me.” He grumbled. Keith pulled back, his stormy eyes shiny and wet with tears. “I really am sorry about everything that went down. I just… I kind of got into my own head and-“

Lance pressed one finger to the other boy’s lips. “I know. Just tell me next time you start getting overwhelmed or anxious or anything that freaks you out. Just come talk to me, okay?”

“Even if it’s stupid?”

“Especially if it’s stupid.” He confirmed.

A wave of relief washed over Keith. Lance could see it in the way his eyes literally seemed to brighten. With the sleeve of his sweat shirt, Keith wiped the stray tears that trailed down his cheeks.

“So… do over?” he as shyly.

Lance thought for a moment, momentarily thrown back to when he said that very same phrase. Back before they broke up, before tour, before he was serenaded to by the most amazing voice he’d ever heard. Before Lance knew what it was to truly be afraid for someone who wasn’t family, and before Keith had that scar that would stick with him forever. Lance thought about every little event that led to this moment. Kissing in the rain, dinner at Denny’s, their first train ride together. All of it, _all of it_ was so precious, so important and it would have never had happened if Lance hadn’t spoken those three little words all that time ago.

He remembered the quiet fear that pushed him to say it, to apologize after their terrible first meetings. And Keith had accepted, with a roll of his stormy eyes and a smile on his face.

However at this moment, Lance knew his answer had to be different.

“Nope. And before you freak out, I’ll tell you why.” Lance laced his fingers together with Keith’s and turned to face him better. “So, this is going to be super cheesy, but just go with it and don’t make fun of me.”

“Uh… okay?”

Lance took a breath. “Even though these last few weeks have been hands down, some of the worse days of my life, I don’t want to just forget it. Hell my parents broke up twice before they finally got married and now they’ve been together for 35 years. What I’m trying to say is: all the good, all the bad, it’s just part of our story. We live through the bad and learn from it, then move on to better things. That’s just how it works. So no do overs, because I want to remember every little moment I spent with you, and all the moments in the future. Cuz not to sound too eager or anything, but I’m in this for the long haul. I want to be with you for a long time, Keith.”

Keith surprised look soften into the sweetest most genuine smile Lance had ever seen in his life. It made his own cheeks turn pink as he slowly came to realize just how stunning the other boy was. Even thought he was clearly exhausted and sick, his face still a little wet with tears; that smile and those eyes? Simply breathtaking.

“I… I want to be with you too.” He cleared his throat and scrubbed away the rest of the tears. “I love you, Lance.”

“I love you too, Keith.” Unafraid, Lance reached up and cupped his cheek. His thumb glided across that smooth snow white skin that had finally seemed to regain a little bit of color. Just as he leaned into plant a kiss on those lips, Keith stopped him.

“Lance? I am a walking germ. You’ll probably end up getting sick.”

“It’ll be totally worth it.”

And with that, Lance closed the distance and pressed his lips against Keith’s. The sick young man protested for a few seconds before giving in, chuckling all the while.

  

* * *

 

 

“Keeiiiithhhhh! I’m dying!” Lance shouted as best he could. His nose was like a freakin’ fountain, the pile of tissues surrounding the couch were multiplying by the second.

“This is your own fault you know.” Keith sounded amused, his attention still on the soup heating up on the stove. “I told you I was contagious.”

“Still totally worth it.”

“Nerd.”

It had been a week since they made up and oh what a week it’s been. Lance can’t remember a time he’d been so happy, so thrilled to just be talking to someone again. Their time apart only made his feelings multiply. He cherished every little smile, every teasing look and ever time Keith so much as said his name. By the look of things, Keith was feeling the same. He blushed every time Lance reached for his hand and practically giggled when they kissed. It was too damn adorable.

Keith stayed over at Lance’s so that he could wait on the boy hand and foot until he got better. But a few days later, Lance started to feel sick himself. Keith fixed him with a smug look the first time he so much as sneeze and he just knew it was all downhill from there.

Since he was nearly over his sickness, it was Keith’s turn to wait on Lance but he did so with less playful kisses and more teasing remarks.

Lance stood and secured his bundle of blankets around him like a cape. He shuffled over to the kitchen where Keith was finishing up and plopped his head on the shorter boys shoulder.

“Go sit back down, I’ll bring you a bowl.” Keith scolded.

“I was lonely.” He stated simply. Lance ducked his head away quickly to sneeze.

Keith turned and glared at his boyfriend. “Go sit down.”

“No.”

“You are impossible.”

“Impossibly charming.”

“No.”

Lance laughed. “Aw c’mon, babe! That was a good one.”

Keith didn’t reply, he simple smiled and turned back around to the food. Lance pecked him on the cheek before settling down at the kitchen table. The blanket-cape draped over the chair as Lance stretched his arms high over his head. His back creaked until there was one satisfying pop. He hummed happily and reached for a chain that hung rung his neck.

The look on Keith’s face when he gave him the necklace was precious. The boy had gone from composed to flustered in seconds and it was always amusing to see the ever cool Keith Kogane become a mess. Lance brought the pendant up to his face and grinned at the little sliver lioness head.

Of course when Keith mentioned he got something for him, Lance had to get him something in return. The question however, was what? Keith wasn’t too big on things. Yeah he a few things from his travels, his CD’s and a few old video games, but overall he was a fairly practical kind of guy. Unlike Lance who his siblings had call a hoarder many times over the years.

The gift that came to mind one evening that was absolutely perfect. Much like his surprise trip to LA, this was going to be something that Keith was likely to love. After a little bit of planning, and waiting for his singing voice to get better, Lance was ready to spring it on him.

Keith set down a bowl in front of Lance of steaming soup before taking the seat next to him. He blew on his own bowl, willing it to cool down before he ate. Lance took a few slow sips, letting the hot soup warm his belly.

“Let’s go out.” He said suddenly.

“Really? But you’re still not over your cold.” He frowned.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Really.”

“Judging by the pile of tissues over there, I’m gonna say you’re lying.”

“Keeeith… I’m feeling better, honest.”

He pointed at Lance with a spoon. “Two seconds ago you said you were dying.”

“That’s because you were far away. I told you before. I need constant attention or else I’ll die.”

Keith grumbled and scooped another spoonful before shoving it in his mouth. Lance followed his example and sipped a bit more before trying again.

“C’mon, we haven’t gone anywhere all week.” He reasoned. “Just for a few hours.”

It didn’t take much to convince him. One look with his patented puppy dog eyes and Keith was a goner. Luckily his boyfriend hadn’t figured out that he had a pretty convincing puppy dog stare that would have Lance saying yes to anything.

Lance and Keith spent the time slowly getting ready to go out into the world. Nearly a week of never leaving his apartment meant that the two of them resembled mole people more than they did actual humans.

Feeling refreshed after a shower and a shave, Lance stepped out of his apartment feeling much better. A little congested, but the medicine he took was working wonders. Walking towards the train station, Lance draped his arm over Keith’s shoulders and grinned when Keith tugged him closer with a hand on his waist.

They talked and talked, with Keith continuously wandering back around to ask where they were going. But Lance was adamant about keeping it a secret. Even thought he’d been planning this surprise for only a few days, the gift he was giving had been in the works for as long as they have been dating. He wasn’t going to spoil it now.

The train pulled to their stop, Lance nudging Keith to get him to move. The pushed their way through the crowd and went up the stairs. Looking at his phone, he realized they were already a few minutes late.

“Where are we going?” Keith asked, slipping his hand into Lance’s.

“Y’know I’m not going to tell you.”

“I keep hoping I’ll catch you off guard and you’ll slip up.”

“Pfft, you’ll never catch me off guard. I’ve got cat like reflexes- OW!”

Keith flicked him hard on the nose. A shit eating grinned ate up his face as Lance looked at him incredulously. “Yeah. Your practically superhuman with those reflexes of yours.”

“I- I wasn’t ready!” Lance whined, rubbing the slight sting away from his nose.

“Doesn’t that just prove my point from earlier?”

“No it doesn’t!”

“Where are we going?”

“That little theater where you sang to me-“ Lance paused his mouth hanging open as realization washed over him. Keith had caught him off guard. “You dick.”

“I knew it was only a matter of time.” He flashed a mischievous look Lance’s way. Now knowing where they were going, Keith led Lance down the sidewalks to that very theater. Upon getting closer, Keith seemed to realize it was closed and began walking a little slower.

Lance tugged him along, heading to the side of the building. He knocked on the door and was greeted by none other than Shiro.

“You two took your time.” He smiled and waved them inside.

Keith looked utterly confused but managed a weary glare in Lance’s direction.

“The train took longer than I thought.” Lance shrugged and let the door bang closed behind them. Shiro headed off to the stage while Lance took Keith out into the front of house. His brow furrowed even deeper in confusion when he saw Hunk and Pidge on the stage as well.

There was a small round table set up with a candle sitting on it and a single chair. Lance pulled it out for him and Keith sat down with a sigh. “Alright, what’s going on?”

“Ah ah!” Lance tutted. “You already got one secret out of me. I’m not going to ruin the rest.”

“Lance…”

“Nope. You just have to wait and see.”

It took a few seconds, but Keith resigned and leaned back into the chair. He crossed his arms and tried to look uncaring. But now, Lance could read him easily. He leaned over and kissed his forehead, fluffing up his hair. “You’ll like this, I promise.”

Keith smiled. “Okay.”

With that, Lance hopped up on stage. Hunk held out his guitar. His dad’s guitar. This was the first time he’d ever used it to perform and for some reason it just felt right. He strummed a bit, listening to the sound echoing from the speakers. It was so unlike his other instruments. There was something about this beloved guitar that just made the perfect sound.

Lance turned and focused on Keith. “So I’ve kinda been writing this since we met. Well, before we met actually. But it wasn’t until I started to get to know you that I was able to find the words. So yeah, this is our song I guess. I was going to wait until our anniversary but you know me. I get excited.”

Keith laughed from his place in the audience. Taking a moment, Lance turned to his friends. It wasn’t hard to convince them to help with this. Hell, they hammered out the arrangement in just one day. Lance couldn’t help be feel a tinge of nostalgia thinking about that long day and was incredibly grateful for his friends. With one look around, they began to play.

Shiro started, his acoustic guitar shattering the silence. In a heartbeat, everyone else joined in. Lance spun around to his friends yet again, laughing at the sight of Pidge bouncing with the beat. When the time came, Lance found the microphone and looked to Keith as he sang.

 

_When the road is rough, don’t you worry now lover_

_I’ll be by your side, I won’t ever need another_

_Anything you want, doesn’t matter what_

_Say the word._

_Even when you’re tired and the world is going crazy_

_I’ll drop everything just to satisfy your craving_

_Anything you want, doesn’t matter what_

_Say the word_

 

Shiro, Hunk and Pidge all joined in on the chorus.

 

_Say the word_

_And I’ll come running to you_

_Say the word_

_And I will bring you home_

_Say the word_

_And if your dreams don’t come true_

_All you need to do is say the word._

Lance had never sung so well in his life. The melody flow effortless from his lips, like it had always been in the back of his mind. The words flew off his tongue feeling more honest and true than anything he had said before. The upbeat tempo of the song pushed his adrenaline to its max in the best way possible. It was like jumping from a plane onto a trampoline.

Keith’s eyes were about as wide as saucers, but the smile on his face matched it. He was blushing like crazy, visible even under the cool club lighting. Lance rolled right into the next verse.

 

_If sometimes if feels like the sky is falling down_

_You feel like you’re alone, I will always be around_

_Anything you want doesn’t matter what_

_Say the word_

_Say the word_

_And I’ll come running to you_

_Say the word_

_And I will bring you home_

_Say the word_

_And if your dreams don’t come true_

_All you need to do is say the word_

_So whether it’s your finest hour_

_Or your darkest day_

_I’ll never leave your side and let you down_

Those last few lines, Lance had added recently and out of everything he needed Keith to believe those words most of all. He need Keith too see that no matter what, even if they don’t end up a couple for good and become friends instead, Lance will always be there for Keith. Just like he said in the car, through thick or thin, he will always be there no matter what.

Looking at Keith in the audience, sitting at his little table with the candle burning bright, Lance felt himself grin. For he was positive, in that very moment, that he was going to spend the rest of his life with that boy. Come hell or high water, he was never going to let Keith go.

Lance launched himself into a solo. One that he was quiet literally making up on the spot. When they rehearsed the song a few days ago, Lance told had a general idea of what he wanted to do. All of that went out the window as he barreled into a new idea that suddenly consumed him. His fingers moved rapidly across the strings as his other hand picked at the strings. The notes blared out of the tall speakers, his father guitar sounding even more amazing that before. Lance finished his solo with a flare and jumped back to the microphone.

 

_Say the word_

_And I’ll come running to you_

_Say the word_

_And I will bring you home_

_Say the word_

_And if your dreams don’t come true_

_All you need to do is say the word_

 

He was breathing hard by the time the final note rang out. His throat was already feeling sore and this little performance did nothing to help. But it didn’t matter. Not with the way Keith was looking at him and the way his heart was pounding.

Keith hopped up from his seat and hurried to the edge of the stage. Lance had just enough time to hand his guitar over to Hunk before he was tackled. He somehow managed to stay standing and hugged Keith tightly.

“That- that was amazing!” He gushed into Lance’s ear. “Thanks.”

“No problem, love. Hey I should be saying thanks to you. You cured my writers block.”

Keith pulled back, but didn’t stay away for long. He kissed Lance with all the same vigor and eagerness he displayed the first time they kissed. Lance tilted his head to the side and let their lips slot together seamlessly.

A drumstick wacked him in the head.

“OW! PIDGE WHAT THE HELL?!”

“Bleh, get a room you two.” The jumped down from the drum platform, a drumstick twirling between their fingers.

“You didn’t have to throw something at me?!” he stalked off, ready to murder his short friend for running the moment.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t a cymbal.”

“PIDGE.”

“Cool it, Lance.” Keith grabbed onto his shirt collar and pulled him back. “You know whatever you do, they’ll only do something worse.”

“Yeah but-“

“Shush.”

Lance turned to argue more but was caught in Keith’s gaze. His stormy eyes were just full of affection that he couldn’t seem to look anywhere else. Lance waited until Hunk and Shiro had wandered off too. Off to follow Pidge wherever they went to.

“You know I love you, right?” Lance asked, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind Keith’s ear.

“Yeah I know. And I love you. Even though you’re a doofus.”

“Hey! You’re ruining the moment!”

“No I’m not. This is how all our moments go.”

Lance thought for a second and then realized Keith was right. He laughed at the thought and lean his forehead against Keith’s. “We’re both a couple of dorks, aren’t we?”

Keith gently placed his hands on Lance’s waist, inviting him closer. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's the song I've been hoarding this entire time lol](http://alyxrae.tumblr.com/post/160074783771/the-namesake-for-my-klance-fic-say-the-word-if)
> 
> It's called Say the Word by Dan Franklin (yeah him again lol) and it was a huge inspiration for this fic! Just- ugh its so perfect for these nerd, i just can't get over it.
> 
> But here it is! The end to this very long, very self indulgent story! Thank you so much for reading and comments and kudos and yeah, just thanks for all of it!! I had so much fun writing and I hope you all like the ending :D
> 
> See ya next time!


End file.
